Category: India

  • Farm loans waiver frenzy across India – Analysis

    Farm loans waiver frenzy across India – Analysis

    Karnataka announced farm loan waivers amounting to Rs. 50,000 per farmer for loans from Cooperative Banks. Earlier, Punjab government announced waivers up to Rs. 2,00,000. Maharashtra Government waived off loans completely for small and marginal farmers. It all started with Tamil farmers protesting for waiver of loans, but they were in for a rude surprise when UP CM Yogi Adityanath announced waiver up to Rs. 1,00,000 for his state.

    Alright, let me clear out few things here before you read further:

    1. I am not against farmers getting financial assistance to help with their plight, caused by bad monsoon and drought.
    2. My analysis is based on what I have read in news, my own sources who know a few things in this matter and data available in public on our country’s finances.

    So why I am writing about it?

    You know, many of you who are reading this, pay taxes. Heavily at that. Income Tax at various slabs, and many more via indirect taxes on things that we consume. I pay a heavy amount as well, and it pinches me. It pinches me to think if I lose my job tomorrow, can my home loans be waived off? Or my personal loans?

    I can see many of you laughing. But ponder on it, and you will realize that things are not right with how India manages its own finances. These farmers likewise pay barely any taxes and whatever they pay is minuscule. Fair to them, they do not make hell a lot of money themselves. But their income taxation is not what is should be ideally. In this post, I am also talking about how much they themselves make for the hard work they put together.

    Idealists would have me plastered into wall for asking farmers to pay – but truly, anyone who makes money should pay taxes.

    It is true that farmers do not make enough, and you know it. You have heard it all around. So if a farmer, who puts his blood and sweat out to make food for us does not earn enough, who does?

    Farmer’s don’t fetch enough for their produce

    The middle men make the most of a farmer’s produce, and that is what is hurting farmers. They buy the produce at cut-throat prices, and sell it at almost 60% margin. You will hardly hear noise in media or elsewhere from these middle men on any major economic impact in this country. Should that not surprise anyone of us?

    Our economy being predominantly agrarian, it should not be difficult for a farmer to make more than enough money to survive his family with decent level of life. But truth is far from that. Very few farmers, who have do harvest a lot of crops and have diversified their farm bases make good amount of money. Small farmers do not. Wafer thin margins on their hard work ofter leave them poor.

    What should be done?

    To ensure the root of the evil is managed, government should review the process of farm produce being sold. Today we have government collection centers where produce is sold at market prices, however those centers are far off, centrally located.This prompts small farmers to approach middlemen.

    Monitor middlemen. It is easier said that done. Since majority of transaction happen with cash, there is no trace of purchase v/s selling price for farmer. Introducing a singular, digital mode of payment can ensure this is tracked and appropriate taxation can also be recovered that gets lost due to unrecorded transaction.

    And you, can try to procure more locally or from big malls that do buy produce direct from farmers.

    Help a farmer!

  • Road Ethics: How to ride your bike on roads? Part I

    Road Ethics: How to ride your bike on roads? Part I

    I have been writing about some bits here and there on the subject for road safety and road ethics. I have argued with many and some of these are obvious and basic but still do not get followed. Forget about getting a best4 quality jacket and helmet, a bare bones basic ones are rarely found. Road ethics are a matter of life and death.

    Here I will be talking about road manners and abiding by the law as Road Ethics and many points are true for car drivers as well. Well, this is a long, long post. Sit back, read, enjoy and be responsible for yourself! Do not forget to subscribe to my YouTube Channel!

    1. Road Ethics: Indicators are given to be used, but not always!

    Your bike and car have turn indicators. They are to be used when you want to make a turn. But it is not limited to turns only – and that is a fact easily forgotten by many. Y (more…)

  • Air Cooler: Should I buy one in Mumbai? NO!

    Air Cooler: Should I buy one in Mumbai? NO!

    It is summer time again, and Mumbai started to get heated up. Sun has not been among the kind to have treated us this way, unfortunately. And many are thinking of buying an air cooler or desert coolers. I remember writing an article way back in 2009 when Mumbai overheated and my last article about hot summer was in 2016. It is common for my blog to see increased hits on this subject every year during the summer season. And it is still relevant in 2019, as the temperature has just started going up that I started using Air Con at home already.

    One of the most common thing that people ask is – should I get an air cooler? Now, I have used an air cooler in Mumbai, and I can tell you based on my experience that you should avoid it. I have my reason to avoid it, and here they are;

    How does an Air Cooler work?

    Because of lower atmospheric humidity in many parts of India, air cooler (more appropriately called Desert Coolers) works well. The mesh behind the fan is wet (flowing water), the air sucks it and throws it outside into the room. The water droplets in the air then get evaporated thanks to the heat from the surroundings. The more the water evaporates, the more the room temperature comes down.

    Desert or Air coolers are fixed into a window (like Window A.C. unit) for the best effect to maintain humidity levels inside the room. If humidity levels go up, you will be sweating and would feel the heat. Hence it is essential to place the air cooler into a window. In summary, Desert / Air Coolers are meant for dry weather.

    Should I buy water-based Air Coolers or Desert Coolers in Mumbai?

    NO! First of all, the coolers work best in dry conditions, which is why they are called “desert-coolers.” Do not listen to anyone who sells or services air-coolers for a living. You should know that they have a vested interest, pretty straightforward. Then you have those who already have bought an ‘air cooler,’ but just because they do not want to appear to be the only fools, would recommend you to buy (yeah, though rare, there exists such a breed of men and women) as well.

    Kenstar Double Cool DX Air Cooler - Similar to cooler I own
    Kenstar Double Cool DX Air Cooler – Similar to cooler I owned

    Mumbai and surrounding areas are very hot and humid. If you add more humidity in a room, you will sweat even more. The expected cooling effect can last only for 10-15 minutes. The best use of a desert cooler in Mumbai and surrounding suburbs is as very costly fan! Do not use water cooling, whatsoever!

    But I checked out the cooler at showroom and it works well!

    Trust me, you totally ignored the fact that the Showroom already has A/C running to keep it cool. It is a common mistake that I have seen many make (including myself).

    Showrooms which sell the coolers do have air conditioned their premises. Thus, whenever you ask for a demonstration, the cooler throws in the cooler air from the surroundings, thanks to the air conditioner in the show room.

    You are inadvertently tricked into believing that its the cooler that is throwing in cool air.

    How can I check humidity levels?

    Well, sure there are scientific ways to measure Humidity, for us ‘aam aadmi’ common man it may not make sense to purchase a kit just for the sake of it. However, if you insist, here is a link to find the best and cheapest humidity meters.

    There is a way to gauge whether you can use an air-cooler without measuring humidity.
    If you are living about 20-40 kms away from sea shore, then chances are your humidity levels will remain higher than usual. If you live in 5-10 kms radius of a lake or a river, likewise, the levels may remain higher than normal.

    If you live near a water body, the area will be humid during summers. Those who stay in 20-40 kms from the sea shore will be living in humid areas as well!

    Are there any other reasons?

    Yes of course. As I said earlier, any desert cooler works the best if it is installed correctly like a window a/c unit (since everyone is familiar with it). In Mumbai, if you own a flat, chances are that you do not want to dig that big a hole in the wall for an Air Cooler unit! You may still decide to go ahead, and it is your choice. However, I do not think it is worthwhile the cost.

    Air Coolers also do not come in same sizes as A.C. units. But then, if you can do that why not go for an Air Conditioning unit instead? Primarily, it is only tenants who go after desert coolers to get respite from heat during harsh summers. Their flat owners care two cents to install an AC unit for the benefit of tenant.

    What are desert cooler alternatives?

    You only have two realistic options. One is to get yourself a window or split Air Conditioning unit and the other to get yourself a powerful fan. A.C. allows for consistent temperature in the room irrespective of climate changes outside. Though it is on the expensive side, it ensures pure comfort from heat.

    Remember, that fans operating especially during summers feel different than in other seasons.

    And you have any suggestions on how to reduce the heat?

    If super Khan can convince you to use a talcum powder in this heat to make you cool, then can I do it as well? I am sure you and I can talk at length on many ideas to manage temperature naturally, though realistically, only a few things are viable.

    You cannot redo a built building to include some innovative cooling solutions. You may or may not be in a financial position to add glass walls so that heat does not penetrate as much into the building. Still, there are a few things you can do:

    1. If there is one thing that is easy, it is planting many more trees. Plant more and more trees, and help nature get its balance back. Let’s try to be Bhutan, the only country in the world that is proudly carbon negative and promised to remain so forever.
    2. Go Solar: harness the power of sun-light (and heat) and stop burning fossil fuels to generate electricity. Not only solar, but any form of electricity derived from cleaner sources. Getting free electricity will help reduce the Air conditioning bill as well.
    3. Stop or aid in stopping pollution as much as you can. I know this is easier said than done, however doable.

    Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.

  • Why I quit The Himalayan Tribe Working Committee

    Update: After I quit the accusations were still flying around, and some well wishers and naysayers informed me a few of them. Here are my clarifications.

    1. I am accused of lying – that I never told them web server space cost Rs. 15,000. Well to be honest, I lent THT the server space that I already owned and operated and I did not buy it specifically for THT. That is why I never told them there will be any cost to bear in the first year! If people cannot understand difference between lending and buying, I cannot help!
    2. I am still accused of my intent of making money from website – this time, conversely with the thought that I would have made money from the hosting space renewal that THT will be buying in the second year onwards. Here is an excerpt from the charter that I had created, where I was supposed to be signatory as well, but which was never signed for god knows what reason.

    (more…)

  • Riding Ethics: Why should you say a no?

    This is a guest post by Ankit Desai, who wrote this piece out of his pure passion for riding ethics that people tend to ignore. This post is in part of the series of Riding Ethics and Road Safety that I am working on. Share your views in the comment below.

    This week yet again we lost a fellow biker. Anand Pawar, member of H.O.G., Pune chapter, passed away due to an accident en-route Goa. My condolences to both his family and H.O.G. Long days of riding, back-to-back long distances, and fatigue bad luck what ever.

    The truth is a good soul was laid to rest too soon leaving behind a grieving family and a few friends. The rest of the world will forget in a matter of weeks may be days.  (more…)

  • The Himalayan Tribe: Morbe Dam Off Road Video now live

    I have uploaded a new video on my Indianomics channel on Youtube. Three fellow THTians (The Himalayan Tribe’s men) went for a off-road ride to Morbe Dam. Morbe Dam is a gravity dam on the Dhavari river near Khalapur, Raigad district. They came back with a few videos.

    I loved the ones where they create a dust-burnout and decided to create a video! Turns out, they had a few more pictures and I used them. A learning from making the video is to ensure to obtain landscape video shots. My friends shot many a video in portrait mode. Not all videos make for a fit on a video which is almost always in a landscape mode.

    So guys, remember. Next time you are out to shoot a video, please ensure you are shooting it on landscape more. More importantly, if you are going to take a close up as you may miss a large portion of it when the video goes under the knife.

    About The Himalayan Tribe

    The Himalayan Tribe has been an active community full of energetic people. Recently, we did a Service Camp in partnership with Royal Enfield (RE). RE gained a lot of feedback from bikers in a preceding meeting and decided to organize the camp. THT has active WhatsApp and Band.us forums where members connect with each other.

    This camp was helped by THT Volunteers and was hugely successful. If you own a Himalayan, then you should definitely join THT chapter nearest to your location. In case you need, you can find us on Facebook and Twitter or drop in a comment below.

    The video is created using iMovie on iPhone, and have used Beast of the Burden song by Rolling Stones in the background. Let me know if you like the video in the comments below.


    Do not forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel, Indianomics!

  • RE Service Camp with The Himalayan Tribe

    RE Service Camp with The Himalayan Tribe

    THT has been my man-Friday for anything related to my Yeti, the Himalayan. Two weeks ago, THT and Royal Enfield met up at Borivali Service Center for a training camp. Unfortunately I missed that.  During the question answer session, the discussion turned to issues everyone faces.

    Yeti about to be stripped down
    Yeti about to be stripped down

    Taking a stone from the rock solid guys who were there, RE worked out details and collaborated with THT for a service camp. The date was 5th of Feb, 2017. And I had my clock (more…)

  • Cost of your helmet is how much you value your head!

    Cost of your helmet is how much you value your head!

    Why is your helmet important? Let’s talk. I have been writing about Road Safety for a while now, and I think it is time to  create a new category on my blog. I will be moving my previous articles under this category. It is important subject for me, and you alike. Especially, if you live in India.

    As I had mentioned in my previous post about Auto Head Lamps, road safety in India is a topic that is sadly not discussed much. Everyday my ride to office and back is filled with events, (more…)

  • Auto Headlamps On or AHO in India to go live in April 2017

    Auto Headlamps On or AHO in India to go live in April 2017

    Alright, if you are a friend on Facebook, then you might have seen some of my posts talking about Auto Headlamps on or AHO. Government of India had issued a notification to all the two-wheeler manufacturers or importers in India. According to the rule, AHO is mandatory from April 2017. KTM, and other big bikes already have implemented it.

    In 2014, close 40,000 people died in two-wheeler accidents (source). This number is due to various issues including lack of safety gear (helmets) and driving carelessly. Either by the rider or another three or four wheeled vehicle. It is obvious that roads in India are not safe enough, and are way too (more…)

  • De-monetization – impacts common man, parallels to history

    De-monetization – impacts common man, parallels to history

    I have been reading the news about de-monetization ever since it was announced at 8th of November, 2016. It is surely a day that will stand out in history, like on 16th January, 1978. That year, that day, the currency notes of Rs 1,000, Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 were scrapped. I do not even remotely remember those notes, of course, I was not born yet. If there has to be any parallels to be drawn, you can say that the then Janta party coalition and Bharatiya Janta Party are related. Apart from, black money, (more…)

  • Yeti. The Himalayan beast in my life

    Yeti. The Himalayan beast in my life

    Yeti is what I named him. Many preferred to call it a goat, a Himalayan Goat. But for me, it never looked like one. It always looked like the beast. Untamed, but well mannered and imposing. It has been an agonizing three and half months of a wait, to be honest. Waiting time for my beast was killing me. My friends who knew about this decision kept on asking me on the status, adding salt to the burn. On 16th of Aug., 2016 he arrived. I got to see first glimpse of Royal Enfield Himalayan, reserved in my name at the show room. (more…)

  • Hot Mumbai overheats during summer again!

    Hot Mumbai overheats during summer again!

    Burn up the energy this summer, but don’t buy a cooler.

    It is summer time again and Mumbai started to get heated up. Sun has not been among the kind to have treated us this way, unfortunately. I remember writing an article way back in 2009 about hot summer that year. And it is a post that has got more hits during summers every year.

    Last Sunday, the heat reached at it’s peak this summer, with night being hot as well. It did came as a surprise since the nights have been colder comparatively. As 90% of the working class these days works in Air conditioned offices, it is but obvious that you will be relaxed during the day. With the addition of recently announced A/C train on the Central line, it would make the travel cozy as well.
    (more…)

  • I blog. I live. It is me. #ResponsibleBlogging

    I blog. I live. It is me. #ResponsibleBlogging

    To talk about being responsible and put things in context, let me redirect you to one of my recent post on bomb blasts in Pakistan. It was horrible, but there was a particular behavior the caught my eye. Earlier this year and late last year, there were two other blasts that shook the world – in France and Belgium. It is a sad example, I know but one that teaches how selective we are. My Facebook timeline was flooded (Disclaimer: I did not do it on both occasions) with people updating their profile picture over-laced with the French and the Belgian flag.

    But the same thing did not happen for the blasts that happened in Pakistan. Does that have to do with the frequency of blasts in Pakistan or the hatred that we carry for them? I also posted the article link on Facebook, earned absolute Zero likes and comment – may be the text I wrote there was probably in-your-face!
    (more…)