Allô Chatrath

                                           Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute Pune.  I am a self professed atheist and am not the religious or spiritual type. However last week when I came across  a free Youtube presentation on Upanishads in simple language from experts of Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute Pune, I was instinctively drawn towards these lectures. I have started watching those- for the sake of knowledge and not for seeking deliverance from the cycle of life and death. No, I am clear that I do not want Moksha. I would love to be born again and again and go through the darkest and the most pleasant experiences.  Anyway here is link to the first lecture that I watched:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmTYhLnVdQ8

  Canada has ministries and enactments that aim to reduce red tape, including the Ministry of Red Tape Reduction in Ontario and the Red Tape Reduction Act at the federal level. Going back in history I found that as way back as in 2012, Canadian Government had prepared a 'Red Tape Reduction Action Plan', so it seems to be 'work in progress'  Mr. Param Gill, a Canadian of Indian origin was the   Minister of Red Tape Reduction from June 24, 2022 – January 26, 2024  In 1994, the European Union introduced a rule stating that bananas must be “free of abnormal curvature.” This was widely mocked as an example of unnecessary bureaucracy, though the EU insisted it was about quality control.  In 2021, the UK’s Companies House (which registers businesses) still required some forms to be sent via fax . The catch? The UK government’s own offices no longer used fax machines. So, to comply, people had to buy outdated machines or find a business that still had one. And ...

Would you agree with me if I say that United Nations Organisation has failed miserably in achieving the objective for which it was created - to bring peace in the world.  It's failure to do anything substantial in Gaza and Ukraine shows that it is good only in declaring heritage sites and in declaring days to be celebrated And yes, we all are contributing financially to keep this mammoth organsiation and its bloated buraucracy afloat. India contributes to the United Nations (UN) through assessed contributions to the UN's regular budget and various UN agencies. For the year 2024, India paid USD 32.89 million towards the UN Regular Budget, making the payment on January 31, 2024. In addition to the regular budget, India also contributes to various UN agencies and international organizations. For the fiscal year 2024-25, India's total contributions to international bodies amounted to ₹2,620.9 crore (approximately USD 350 million), Come on, wake up UNO!

  I had got my name plate painted on a slate when I was dealing with "education' in my service career (in NCERT, Deptt of Education, MHRD, GOI and Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla).   I have now added a new name plate on my door which gives my name in Tamil also. My sincere thanks to my service colleague R. Balakrishnan who, on my request designed the board, got it prepared and sent to me by courier from Chennai.    Incidentally Balakrishnan is no ordinary bureaucrat, and I would be writing about him and his magnum opus "Journey of a Civilization: Indus to Vaigul" separately.   What is in a name had asked the Bard centuries ago.  And what is in a name plate, if I may ask?  Plenty.

  Indian cuisine- the best on planet earth                                 Typically Bengali vegetarian meal in Berhampore, West Bengal.

  How does one react to this unfortunate collapse of a mere 50 year old much tom-tommed ‘heritage’ building? Possibilities Were there some shortcoming in the structural drawings prepared by M. Le Cobusier and so ably assisted by his nephew M. Jeanneret? Were necessary checks and supervision done by M. Le Corbusier’s Team during the construction of the building Were appropriate steps taken for its regular maintenance? Conclusion No, nobody was at fault - at was an ‘Act of God’- the 7.1 degrees earthquake in Nepal made it collapse.