We are what we are !!

There is a raging controversy as to why Indians in general advocate vegetarianism as against the world view of eating according to one's preferences. It is an established fact that we are driven by our chemistry which is made up of enzymes et al derived from what we eat. Then isn't it true what we eat guides us both physically as well as mentally. Swami Vivekananda on nonvegetarian diet: "About vegetarian diet I have to say this - first, my Master was a vegetarian; but if he was given meat offered to the Goddess, he used to hold it up to his head. The taking of life is undoubtedly sinful; but so long as vegetable food is not made suitable to the human system through progress in chemistry, there is no other alternative but meat-eating. So long as man shall have to live a Rajasika (active) life under circumstances like the present, there is no other way except through meat-eating. It is true that the Emperor Asoka saved the lives of millions of animals, by the thr...

Governments looking for an exit , looking for an excuse to wriggle out, looking for an alibi have all got a valid reason-COVID 19. In the name of COVID 19 nations are filing compensatory suits against sovereign countries. Govt agencies and big corporates around the world are invoking force majeure clauses for reneging on the contracts. Suddenly the corporate legal etiquettes are no more sacrosanct. The times are unprecedented and the usage of the word 'Unprecedented" has been unprecedented ,as commented by one journalist. Govts. are exceeding their budgetary deficit limits, want to try "the nuclear options" of fully monetising the deficits,drop helicopter money, encourage everybody to borrow and spend,pushing the lenders to go on a lending spree and loan deferrals and waivers left, right and  centre. In short spend your way through the disease and misery. But none of them are clear as to who is going to foot this spendthrifts' bill. We, in three years time, ...

 Price Risk Management fund is an important economic concept especially in emerging economies like India. Commodity Price fluctuations especially in Oil, Rubber etc. impact the allocation of resources in countries like India. The volatility in the prices of such commodities in the international markets affect the prices in India.When the gyrations of price of movements are carried into the economy there will be steep fall and rise in the local prices, which affect the consumers  by distorting their incomes.This in turn affect the allocation of resources over the medium term and long term as depressed prices drive out further investments in Oil etc and inflated prices bring in increased investments which may become unviable after some time. Inorder to buffer the violent fluctuations in the prices when the international prices are high govt collects Price Risk Management levy from local producers and keep it in a separate kitty and then when international prices are low giv...

Many researches around the world are frantically searching for the elusive vaccine to COVID 19. There are rumours at every corner either saying vaccine is there or never.In the morning news some scientist says there is probably no vaccine as it is like common flu or cold and 'herd immunity' is a better solution than lockdown.In the evening some scientist claims that there has been a breakthrough in finding a vaccine and till it is available everybody should be under lockdown.Next day morning another renowned medical expert asks how can you have a vaccine for 10 different mutated versions of Covid 19.Another nobel laureate says there cannot be a vaccine for lab made designer virus.Third day another pharma company claims antibody breakthrough and then fourth day another one debunks yesterday's claim and says their new medicine is a miracle cure. Finally another scientist says this pandemic is exaggerated and the mathematical models should not be considered by Govts for formu...

How to tie down 138 cr Indians. That requires great skill and our bureaucracy has that unenviable skill in abundance. Try reading what is permitted in Red, Orange, Green zones now and try to explain it to yourself or to your wife. You will ultimately end up in knots, which made somebody to remark in Twitter to start a Ministry for Issuing clarifications to these orders. Govt has taken a tough decision to extend the lockdown by another 2 weeks. Many now are saying incl. Infosys Narayanamurthy that now people will start dying due to hunger more than those who die due to COBID 19. It is a catch 22 situation for Govt. "Damn you do, damn you dont do". Perhaps Govt is planning a staggered exit with the relaxations announced in Orange and Green zone districts. Some are impractical like 2 passengers in a private car with one driver in the front etc. So if you have to undertake an emergency travel what will you do with your children. Simple is dont travel. Red zones do s and do...

some snippets about COVID 19 pandemic. 1) When bayes theorem is applied to the probability of somebody in India being infected with coronavirus then Bloomberg Quint says that it is 0.77% link  as on 20th April 2020. 2) R 0 is the value which for this COVID 19 in India was anywhere between 3 to 4.5 when it started. Now according to some scientists this value has dropped to 1.36 by 20th April 2020 and is dropping.  That means that one infected person is infecting on an average about 1.36 persons only which was as high as 4/4.5 at some point of time when the pandemic reached the Indian shores in March 2020. link 3)There are several strains of COVID 19 virus and some of the strains are not as virulent as others. 4)The Wire.in carried an article which says that Scientists are saying that the probability of one not infected by disease even when the test shows positive is as high as 33.3.% link 5)Even if infected,  more than 80% are not showing any signs of discomfort...

Helicopter money (link) is a concept first used by Milton Friedman to illustrate air dropping money to the people in need directly when interest rate is zero and the economy is in recession. In modern day it is like Govt. sending subsidy money to the beneficiaries through direct transfer to their bank accounts. But it is the quantum that determines whether it is "heli drop" or simply a lollipop. It is a method by which Govt or CEntral bank monetises the fiscal deficit.Some of my friends wanted to link it to Dhoni's helicopter shot which used to send the ball for a six. When too much of money is sent thro Heli drop, the economy can go for a six through hyper inflation later on, and other attendant problems from fiscal deficit bulge, ratings downgrade, interest rate shooting up etc. can wreck a booming economy. Fiscal deficit denotes that we are borrowing money from our children and grandchildren to run our households today. As the famous saying goes Nothing is free i...