WHO SAYS ‘WALMART’ WOULD BRING HAPPINESS TO ALL?

At the cost of being branded as an alarmist or a mad-person with phobias or even as a lackey of some vested interests, I wish to predict the scenario 10 Years from now, with FDI in Retail Sector, based on the Historical Data.

According to the ‘World Bank- Global Development Finance Report 2009’^[1] Educational Qualifications of Organised Retail Sector are – mostly computer savvy – 56% of Undergraduates, 36% of Graduates & 8% of Post-Graduates.

If Walmart succeeds the way it did in Mexico – capturing as much as 62%, in the first 15 Years (since 1997) ^[2] – assuming our Retail market stagnates at the current level of only Rs. 21,34,400/- Crores of Sales with 12 Lakh businesses – owned by individuals of Families that employ as many as 4 Crores of mostly Computer-illiterate, School Drop-outs – It would displace, like it did in Mexico – around 7 Lakh businesses and would employ just over 13 Lakh Undergraduates, Graduates & Post Graduates, with a Sales of around Rs. 13,23,328/- Crores – after disemploying as many as 3,86,76,672.

       01)  Who says FDI in Retail Sector, with the likes of unscrupulous Walmart ^[3] entering Indian Retail Sector would create jobs and not take away them?

Much larger studies concluded that the Prices of Supermarkets in Latin America, Africa & Asia have remained higher, by 20%-30%, than those of the open Markets.

         02)  Why anybody should peddle canards of ‘the Prices at Large-Format Retail Outlets’ would be Cheaper to the Consumer?? 

 

In USA, the birth-place of “Walmart” and several other Large-Format Retail Outlets, their Government has been subsidizing its Farmers to the tune of US$ 60/- Billions a Year!

             03)  What is the logic or motivation ^[4] behind spreading rumours about Farmers Getting better prices???

For further study, kindly visit,

^[1] http://www.dnb.co.in/IndianRetailIndustry/insight.asp

^[2] http://www.ilsr.org/walmart-de-mexico-scandal/

^[3] http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/business/at-wal-mart-in-mexico-a-bribe-inquiry-silenced.html?pagewanted=all&_moc.semityn.www

^{[4] http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/article3897906.ece?css=print}

AN ANALYSIS OF INDIAN POLITY: The Politics of Scorning Politicians!

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By MANU JOSEPH, nytimes.com / Published: August 31, 2011.

NEW DELHI — On Sunday, when a tired old man ended his hunger strike by consuming coconut water laced with honey, the humiliation of the Indian government was complete. It was a dramatic but predictable end to a festive anti-corruption campaign that most of the Indian news media considered a revolution. Some even called it the “Indian Spring,” even though, according to the Indian Meteorological Department, India does not have a spring.

The 74-year-old social reformer, Anna Hazare, had threatened to fast unto death if the Indian government did not agree to establish his version of a powerful, autonomous anti-corruption agency. As the government resisted, thousands thronged to the venue of his fast to demonstrate how much they hated Indian politicians. What ensued was a carnival of music mixed with cries for a revolution and general abuse of politicians. Across the country, crowds marched in support of Mr. Hazare. Finally, the government gave in.

People rejoiced on the streets to celebrate the victory of their hero, Mr. Hazare, who has never run for public office, and for the defeat of the villainous government, whose members were elected by the citizens.

The way most Indians react to their political leaders, it is as if the politicians had fallen from another world. The fact is, although many members of Parliament do behave as though they have fallen hard on their heads, they have been chosen by the people of India in a genuine mass movement many times larger than the crowds Mr. Hazare has drawn, either in flesh and blood or on social media sites.

The government led by the Indian National Congress party was voted into power in 2009 by more than 150 million people, or nearly 40 percent of the Indians who cast their votes in the general elections that year. The simple fact is that in a democracy, the largest mass movement is democracy itself.

But, across all classes, a majority of Indians hate politicians even though they love democracy. The adoration for the world’s greatest political idea coexists with a deep loathing for the human embodiment of that idea.

If Indians hate their politicians so much, why do they stand in long, serpentine lines and vote for them?

Rest at,

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/01/world/asia/01iht-letter01.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

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Child pornography rising in India!

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August 30, 2011 / IANS, New Delhi / DC.

There is a steady rise in the number of child pornography cases registered and arrests in India.

Across India, the number of cases stood at 99 in 2007, 105 in 208 and 139 in 2009, Minister of State for Home M. Ramachandran told the Lok Sabha.

The tally for arrests was 86 in 2007, 90 in 2008 and 141 in 2009.

In the same period, Kerala and Maharashtra accounted for most cases and arrests, the minister said.

Maharashtra registered 27, 17 and 25 child pornography cases in the three years respectively. For Kerala, the figures were 20, 39 and 44.

Rest at,

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/nation/north/child-pornography-rising-india-316

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TRAVEL & TOURISM: Of Mumtaz, a mahal and a museum!!

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The Hindu / August 28, 2011.

The Mumtaz Mahal museum.

The Mumtaz Mahal museum in the Red Fort is 100 years old, observes R.V. Smith, digging out the facts on how it came about.

It may surprise some to learn that the Mumtaz Mahal museum in the Red Fort is 100 years old. Browsing through a contemporary's “100 years ago” one read a news item dated August 20, 1911, “By desire of Sir Louis Dane, E.C.I.E. Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab, a committee has formed under the presidency of the Commissioner of Delhi Division, for the purpose of making a loan collection of objects of historical and archaeological interest for exhibition during the coming cold weather. One of the old buildings in the Fort (the Chhoti Baithak of Mumtaz Mahal), which has for many years been used as a sergeants' mess, is being adapted to receive the collection, and to exhibit it to the best advantage. The combined collection will be on view on the occasion of the garden party which is to be given in the Fort in honour of His Majesty the King Emperor, but it is intended that it shall remain open during the whole of the cold weather. It is hoped that the collection will be the best of its kind ever exhibited in India, and it is sure to attract large numbers of visitors. The objects wanted for the exhibition the item says, should be sent to J.P. Thompson, I.C.S, Divisional and Sessions Judge, Delhi, or to the Hon. Secretary, Gordon Sanderson, Superintendent of Mohamedan and British Monuments, Northen Circle, Agra.

According to Maulvi Zafar Hasan, the building formed part of the imperial seraglio and was used as a prison in 1857. It measures 26.9 meters by 25 meters east to west. However the gilded chhatris have now disappeared but the chajja or parapet, reconstructed in 1911 remains. He goes on to say “the lower portions of the walls and piers are of marble and traces of some of the old painted and glass decoration, with which the building was formerly adorned, exposed”. The date of its construction is given as 1639-48. The Mumtaz Mahal was again renovated a few years ago and now looks as spick and span as a modern building.

Rest at,

http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article2406190.ece?homepage=true

               

INDIA's PRIDE: 4 Indians among MIT's top 35 innovators under 35!

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ciol.com / Wednesday, August 24, 2011.

BANGALORE, INDIA: MIT’s Technology Review today announced the TR 35, the magazine’s annual list of 35 outstanding men and women under the age of 35 who exemplify the spirit of innovation in business and technology.

The TR 35 found the representation of four Indians, including two people of Indian origin.

Two Indians, Ajit Narayanan, Invention Labs, Chennai and Aishwarya Ratan, Yale University, who were part of TR35 India Winners announced in March 2011 form part of this list.

While Ajit is Chennai-based, Aishwarya was working with Microsoft Research in Bangalore when she won the prestigious honour at the Technology Review’s Emerging Technologies conference held in partnership with CyberMedia. Aishwarya has since moved to Yale University, USA.

Two winners of Indian origin include: Bhaskar Krishnamachari, University of Southern California and Piya Sorcar, Teachaids.

Umar Saif, Lahore University of Management Sciences is a TR35 honoree from Pakistani.

The honorees are blazing new paths in a wide range of fields, including medicine, energy, communications, IT, consumer technology, entertainment, and robotics. The TR35 will present their work and be honored at an awards ceremony during the 2011 EmTech MIT conference, taking place October 18-19 at MIT’s Media Lab, USA.

Rest at,

http://www.ciol.com/News/News/News-Reports/4-Indians-among-MITs-top-35-innovators-under-35/153735/0/