We all work for , earn for and spend on one common thing - Food. In fact to put it straight, we eat to live. Food is something that important. More often than not, we do not understand the value of something, unless we are devoid of it. It is predicted that the same is going to happen to food too.
Take a simple example of our own country India. We have all leading food joints setting up franchises in India because they know how much we love our food and how ready we are to spend on it. The rich spend millions of rupees on lavish weddings which boast of a six course buffet, but down the very street there would at least a dozen children starving without the wealth to afford even a meal a day. While this discussion could lead to the rich-poor divide which is haunting our country since time unknown, a little awareness or concern towards the needy could change things. We could always contact a food collection agency which could distribute the surplus food to the needy. It is not that tough a task to contact these people - simply google - waste food collection chennai , and it's done!
While this is one step which we can spread awareness on a personal front and successfully feed at least a handful of poor kids and people, food wastage is a bigger issue . In a country where malnourished kids are in millions, we just should not tolerate the fact that grains and crops get spoiled in the warehouses . Just because our storage facilities our inefficient, we can't allow innocent people to die. It is not their fault but that of the authorities. It is high time we raise a voice against this.
In future, if we do not have enough food, it is not because of growing demand or shortage of supply , it is mainly because we were reckless today and wasted a lot without caring about tomorrow. It is not only India but several other developed countries too, which are sparing little thought about food conservation and optimum utilization of the same.
It is high time the world wakes up before it dies hungry!
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Food Wastage - All Talk and No Action Will Make Our Planet A Hungry House!
Alright, June 5th was World Environment Day and we all know that. Newspapers came out in green color, several corporates sent out advertisements to show their concern for the environment with their names embossed in bold. The media revealed umpteen numbers of stats - one of the most shocking was the one which stated that India ( alone ) wastes food worth 50,000 crores INR every year! There were several others which took to the papers and television channels.
Most of us would've been shocked once we read such stuff but the very next day we get back to our daily routine and all that we felt bad about is history! Yes, probably we need to wait till the next World Environment Day to wake up again.
It is a matter of fact that we follow the 'all talk, no action' strategy many a times and when it comes to the crisis revolving around the environment, things aren't different. Enough has been said that people should take to public transport and cycling to curb pollution but in reality is it easy to cycle through our packed roads in a safe manner or is it possible to find a seat in a train or bus during peak hours ? Absolutely no. We talk about saving electricity and how much of coal is burnt to light that bulb in your house, but can we bare the heat during peak summer without our air conditioners on? Absolutely no, again.
We live in a modern world where our ultimate goal is to make our life comfortable and save enough for our children . In such a scenario, even though it is tough to spare a thought about compromising on certain essential stuff, there's definitely something that we can do to protect the environment.
For instance, we could turn off lights and fans when they are on unnecessarily and even air conditioners when it pretty comfortable to stay without it.
When we see that a tree has been cut down in our street or near our residence, we could compensate for it by planting a sapling in our own backyard.
There are 1000's of such small initiatives which we could practically implement and make this world a better place. It is indeed true that an individual can trigger a revolution and that's why we still believe that ONE CAN CHANGE.
Save trees, save your breath!
Most of us would've been shocked once we read such stuff but the very next day we get back to our daily routine and all that we felt bad about is history! Yes, probably we need to wait till the next World Environment Day to wake up again.
It is a matter of fact that we follow the 'all talk, no action' strategy many a times and when it comes to the crisis revolving around the environment, things aren't different. Enough has been said that people should take to public transport and cycling to curb pollution but in reality is it easy to cycle through our packed roads in a safe manner or is it possible to find a seat in a train or bus during peak hours ? Absolutely no. We talk about saving electricity and how much of coal is burnt to light that bulb in your house, but can we bare the heat during peak summer without our air conditioners on? Absolutely no, again.
We live in a modern world where our ultimate goal is to make our life comfortable and save enough for our children . In such a scenario, even though it is tough to spare a thought about compromising on certain essential stuff, there's definitely something that we can do to protect the environment.
For instance, we could turn off lights and fans when they are on unnecessarily and even air conditioners when it pretty comfortable to stay without it.
When we see that a tree has been cut down in our street or near our residence, we could compensate for it by planting a sapling in our own backyard.
There are 1000's of such small initiatives which we could practically implement and make this world a better place. It is indeed true that an individual can trigger a revolution and that's why we still believe that ONE CAN CHANGE.
Save trees, save your breath!
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Employing the Youth as 'Agents of Change'
The nation is drowning under controversies, corruption allegations and inhumane behavior against women. At times, the common man feels paralyzed when he has to battle it out against the intolerant police force and a weak and slow judiciary. People with money and powerful positions are the only ones who have a say in this country which is one of the world's most powerful economies. Luckily, there is some hope considering the fact that a few concerned souls are raising their voice against the evils of this modern society which still continues to reel under power of the rich and the corrupt.
As individuals, we are only bothered about our present and future, our career and our lifestyle. Limited is the time to spare a thought about the issues which are slowly crippling this country. Thanks to a few outfits and organizations, we have been a little successful in voicing protests against raging issues which is heard echoing at the parliament too, at times.
I Lead India is one such initiative which has been taken up by Maruti Suzuki and the Times of India which aims at utilizing the power which the youth of India possess and propagating them as the 'agents of change' against any act which is against the law. Today, India has a very strong percentage of population which is built up of young blood. Hence, it is an absolutely wonderful initiative to provide the responsibility to the youth to clean up the rot.
It is high time we stop sitting back and watching news channels and voice our opinions by simply sitting on our luxurious sofas. It is time that we actually take an actual step forward.
We believe, ONE CAN CHANGE and campaigns like 'I lead India' shall only strengthen our fight against India's umpteen numbers of problems.
As individuals, we are only bothered about our present and future, our career and our lifestyle. Limited is the time to spare a thought about the issues which are slowly crippling this country. Thanks to a few outfits and organizations, we have been a little successful in voicing protests against raging issues which is heard echoing at the parliament too, at times.
I Lead India is one such initiative which has been taken up by Maruti Suzuki and the Times of India which aims at utilizing the power which the youth of India possess and propagating them as the 'agents of change' against any act which is against the law. Today, India has a very strong percentage of population which is built up of young blood. Hence, it is an absolutely wonderful initiative to provide the responsibility to the youth to clean up the rot.
It is high time we stop sitting back and watching news channels and voice our opinions by simply sitting on our luxurious sofas. It is time that we actually take an actual step forward.
We believe, ONE CAN CHANGE and campaigns like 'I lead India' shall only strengthen our fight against India's umpteen numbers of problems.
Friday, May 31, 2013
When in the World of Business , Do As the 'Dabbawalas' Do!
We've heard a lot about management strategies, the elevator pitch for wooing investors, the financial forecasting plans, customer engagement strategies, pricing policies and what not! Entering into the world of business is pretty tough considering all the paper work, the investments and the planning at stake. But India is a proud nation which houses one of the most incredible businesses which have been running successfully for ages now, probably without even knowing as to what a few of the above mentioned terms mean. Yes, I'm talking about the age old dabbawalas!
The 'dabbawala business' is pretty simple. It aims at providing freshly cooked food for the people who slog their hearts out in their shops or offices. It has indeed become a tradition for Mumbai's working class to rely upon these guys for their lunch. What makes the dabbawalas so special? The answer is simple, it is the efficiency with which their business is carried out. Most of you would be knowing that the dabbawalas have been awarded with the six sigma certification for the fantastic efficiency which their business model possesses.
What's so unique about the dabbawalas is fact that their business is almost 100+ years old and the business is still growing at 5%-7% which is pretty fabulous to note. Also, these men are highly disciplined and dedicated which helps them to battle through the war against time that arises everyday during lunch time. The organizational structure brings in almost 5000-6000 people who work their way towards achieving an immaculate efficiency of 99.999%. The most amazing part about this business is that they do not take the help of any modern day technology. However, the business model now accepts orders through SMS which is the way to go!
The dabbawalas have been recognized and admired by the western countries for their outstanding performance. Big heads like Prince Charles and Richard Branson have all taken note of this inspiring model of business.
We salute the dedication of the dabbawalas and only wish that they continue to make India proud!
The 'dabbawala business' is pretty simple. It aims at providing freshly cooked food for the people who slog their hearts out in their shops or offices. It has indeed become a tradition for Mumbai's working class to rely upon these guys for their lunch. What makes the dabbawalas so special? The answer is simple, it is the efficiency with which their business is carried out. Most of you would be knowing that the dabbawalas have been awarded with the six sigma certification for the fantastic efficiency which their business model possesses.
What's so unique about the dabbawalas is fact that their business is almost 100+ years old and the business is still growing at 5%-7% which is pretty fabulous to note. Also, these men are highly disciplined and dedicated which helps them to battle through the war against time that arises everyday during lunch time. The organizational structure brings in almost 5000-6000 people who work their way towards achieving an immaculate efficiency of 99.999%. The most amazing part about this business is that they do not take the help of any modern day technology. However, the business model now accepts orders through SMS which is the way to go!
The dabbawalas have been recognized and admired by the western countries for their outstanding performance. Big heads like Prince Charles and Richard Branson have all taken note of this inspiring model of business.
We salute the dedication of the dabbawalas and only wish that they continue to make India proud!
If You are an Indian, Are You Bound to Be a Software Engineer or a Doctor?
We are proud sons and daughters of Mother India. A nation that is slowly getting stung by a bug called 'Western Culture' . We Indians love Domino's Pizzas, KFC's chicken and at the same time we do not ditch our traditional pani pooris or vada pav. We love to alter our lifestyle and lean a lot towards the western style of living, but when it comes to certain aspects, our society is yet to see a drastic change.
The children of today have a lot to do apart from their regular academics. They are exposed to a lot of things which a student of the 90's wouldn't have had the chance to. One of the major things that tops this list is the Internet. However, Indian students begin to face the heat right from school. Here, marks matter more than the knowledge that you gain. Parents have literally transformed their child's academic performance as a factor which could boost their pride in the society. 'My son scored 96.2% in his +2 and has applied for his MS in the US' - How often have you heard this?
Forget the marks, of course it is important to score well in school, thanks to the heavy competition offered by your fellow friends who are squeezed to perform. A teen who is a great artist by nature, can definitely end up scoring decent marks in his schooling but that does not qualify him to become an engineer. The Indian society has been effectively molded in such a way that parents can go out and tell the world that their son or daughter is an engineer or doctor and if they end up becoming something else, they end up bringing shame to their family. The situation is as dirty as this!
I'm not writing this post with the outright idea of blaming our parents. I understand that it is absolutely natural for them to dream and have good aspirations for us, but at the end of the day I feel they should be more concerned about the happiness of their children than thrusting their dreams onto their children.
The world is filled with opportunities and it is the not the engineers or doctors who are the most successful people in the country today. An English daily reported a few weeks ago that around 180 and a total of 1700 graduates had applied for the job of cleaning Chandigarh! How pathetic can it get ? Of course, if you have the passion to do engineering, there is nothing that should stop you from doing it, but if it is not really your passion, then there is a lot of thinking to do.
We are in the 21st century and the world is filled with opportunities. There are a million ways to earn money and at the end of the day if you are making money and still happy , your life is a dream come true. If not, well, it is never too late to rediscover your passion. If you are really good at it, I'm sure you are going to succeed bigtime, no matter what!
We believe ONE CAN CHANGE, and you are the one who can change the course of your life!
The children of today have a lot to do apart from their regular academics. They are exposed to a lot of things which a student of the 90's wouldn't have had the chance to. One of the major things that tops this list is the Internet. However, Indian students begin to face the heat right from school. Here, marks matter more than the knowledge that you gain. Parents have literally transformed their child's academic performance as a factor which could boost their pride in the society. 'My son scored 96.2% in his +2 and has applied for his MS in the US' - How often have you heard this?
Forget the marks, of course it is important to score well in school, thanks to the heavy competition offered by your fellow friends who are squeezed to perform. A teen who is a great artist by nature, can definitely end up scoring decent marks in his schooling but that does not qualify him to become an engineer. The Indian society has been effectively molded in such a way that parents can go out and tell the world that their son or daughter is an engineer or doctor and if they end up becoming something else, they end up bringing shame to their family. The situation is as dirty as this!
I'm not writing this post with the outright idea of blaming our parents. I understand that it is absolutely natural for them to dream and have good aspirations for us, but at the end of the day I feel they should be more concerned about the happiness of their children than thrusting their dreams onto their children.
The world is filled with opportunities and it is the not the engineers or doctors who are the most successful people in the country today. An English daily reported a few weeks ago that around 180 and a total of 1700 graduates had applied for the job of cleaning Chandigarh! How pathetic can it get ? Of course, if you have the passion to do engineering, there is nothing that should stop you from doing it, but if it is not really your passion, then there is a lot of thinking to do.
We are in the 21st century and the world is filled with opportunities. There are a million ways to earn money and at the end of the day if you are making money and still happy , your life is a dream come true. If not, well, it is never too late to rediscover your passion. If you are really good at it, I'm sure you are going to succeed bigtime, no matter what!
We believe ONE CAN CHANGE, and you are the one who can change the course of your life!
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Vanishing Lakes of India - I Thought I saw A Lake there 4 years ago!
It's summer time and our throats are running dry. Living in a country that greatly depends on the monsoon for its water requirements, we've got to act smart when it comes to saving this precious resource. More often than not, we tend to be the people who tend to feel the heat only when we're devoid of something and the same is the case with water.
I had already mentioned about the reckless usage of water in one of my previous post and today I have something to share, that is even more alarming - the story of the vanishing lakes of India.
Our national anthem portrays our country to be a paradise on earth with its description of the wonderful serene landscape of India. Today, we've come to a situation where we doubt if this is the same India which was being talked about. Wondering why?
Here's a simple stat. In our very own Bangalore, there were more than 250+ water bodies which ensured that Bangalore wasn't dry at any point of time. But today, the number has fallen by almost 500% to around 50+. Can you imagine the impact of that drastic drop?
The corporation always has answers to our questions. They claim to have a whopping 900 crore lake conservation project to save the little that this urban jungle has to boast about.
What's the mystery behind the vanishing lakes of India? It's pretty simple. The residential towers, parks and townships that we see today were all lakes once upon a time! If this is the case with lakes that dry up, the ones that are filled are not spared either. They are blessed with sewage and toxic contaminants which ensure that they become one of those ugly useless pond which is eventually useful for absolutely nothing and slowly vanish .
Wake up India ! We still believe that ONE CAN CHANGE!
I had already mentioned about the reckless usage of water in one of my previous post and today I have something to share, that is even more alarming - the story of the vanishing lakes of India.
Our national anthem portrays our country to be a paradise on earth with its description of the wonderful serene landscape of India. Today, we've come to a situation where we doubt if this is the same India which was being talked about. Wondering why?
Here's a simple stat. In our very own Bangalore, there were more than 250+ water bodies which ensured that Bangalore wasn't dry at any point of time. But today, the number has fallen by almost 500% to around 50+. Can you imagine the impact of that drastic drop?
The corporation always has answers to our questions. They claim to have a whopping 900 crore lake conservation project to save the little that this urban jungle has to boast about.
What's the mystery behind the vanishing lakes of India? It's pretty simple. The residential towers, parks and townships that we see today were all lakes once upon a time! If this is the case with lakes that dry up, the ones that are filled are not spared either. They are blessed with sewage and toxic contaminants which ensure that they become one of those ugly useless pond which is eventually useful for absolutely nothing and slowly vanish .
Wake up India ! We still believe that ONE CAN CHANGE!
Monday, May 27, 2013
Concrete Jungles Chewing Up Trees - A 'Warm(n)ing' Issue At Stake!
Temperatures are soaring high and none of us are spared from the blistering heat. Every six months , the scenario with the urban concrete jungles keep changing. We have become slaves to comfort and we are ready to do anything for it. We are happy going about in our cool cars with the air conditioners on and we do not have the time to even spare a thought for these widely expanding concrete jungles which are eating up the greenery at a rampant rate.
There once existed a time when people used to cut down forests to bring large vacant lands under cultivation. Today, we do not spare the agricultural lands either. Just take a time to sit back and rewind a little. If you've been to Bangalore about ten years ago, I'm sure you would've loved the place primarily for its climate, especially if you are from the 'land of humidity' - Chennai. But today , you can find that 'mission urbanization' has succeeded to the maximum extent possible and there are hardly any trees in places which used to be lush green. Coimbatore is just another victim of urbanization to a slightly lesser extent than Bangalore. A whopping 50,000 trees have been cut in the recent years in Bangalore, thanks to the rapid infrastructural development projects like the metro rail. The metro rail projects in Kochi, Chennai and Hyderabad have also come under the fuming ire of environmentalists for cutting down trees mercilessly.However, the Chennai Metro Rail Ltd (CMRL) has promised to plant 15,000 trees to compensate for the loss but whether this takes to immediate effect, is a question which can be answered only by time.
The overall picture doesn't look bright. We need infrastructural development and I do not deny that at all. But this cannot continue at the cost of the environment.
Here's a simple strategy. Say, Chennai has lost around 10,000 trees over the last one year due to various reasons. Imagine that each one of us who owns a car in Chennai promises to plant a tree every six months, we would match the number without a doubt and exceed it by a pretty decent number too. This is just one small example and imagine the power of a million when engage in saving their city.
We believe ONE CAN CHANGE! Plant a tree, it is an investment that you can always fall back on..
There once existed a time when people used to cut down forests to bring large vacant lands under cultivation. Today, we do not spare the agricultural lands either. Just take a time to sit back and rewind a little. If you've been to Bangalore about ten years ago, I'm sure you would've loved the place primarily for its climate, especially if you are from the 'land of humidity' - Chennai. But today , you can find that 'mission urbanization' has succeeded to the maximum extent possible and there are hardly any trees in places which used to be lush green. Coimbatore is just another victim of urbanization to a slightly lesser extent than Bangalore. A whopping 50,000 trees have been cut in the recent years in Bangalore, thanks to the rapid infrastructural development projects like the metro rail. The metro rail projects in Kochi, Chennai and Hyderabad have also come under the fuming ire of environmentalists for cutting down trees mercilessly.However, the Chennai Metro Rail Ltd (CMRL) has promised to plant 15,000 trees to compensate for the loss but whether this takes to immediate effect, is a question which can be answered only by time.
The overall picture doesn't look bright. We need infrastructural development and I do not deny that at all. But this cannot continue at the cost of the environment.
Here's a simple strategy. Say, Chennai has lost around 10,000 trees over the last one year due to various reasons. Imagine that each one of us who owns a car in Chennai promises to plant a tree every six months, we would match the number without a doubt and exceed it by a pretty decent number too. This is just one small example and imagine the power of a million when engage in saving their city.
We believe ONE CAN CHANGE! Plant a tree, it is an investment that you can always fall back on..
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