Post of the day- 1

As a step to deal with eternal unjustified procrastination and inability to find a topic to write on, I plan to share one interesting image, phenomenon, person, art, movie, etc which has some unique story or fact behind it.

Today's post is from my visit to the Louvre Museum.

So here, Alexander the Great on horseback was welcomed by statesmen and high ranking officials when he visited some Greek city. However, the Greek philosopher Diogenes (the one with an extended arm) did not come to meet him. Alexander went to see him in the noon and asked if he could help him with anything. Diogenes replied, "Yes, stand out of my Sun."

Alexander, who boasted that no one could surpass him when it came to liberality, was surpassed by Diogenes, who proved himself the better man by refusing to accept from Alexander everything except those things that Alexander could not give.

This is not merely a depiction of haughtiness or audacity. The sculptor, Pierre Puget, worked under the patronage of Louis XIV. This work was a message to the King, warning him to treat his subordinates well.

It is depicted that Alexander approached Diogenes. reversing the usual stances of royalty and commoner in which the latter would be physically submissive. By such means, Diogenes communicated his cynical indifference to convention and status in a non-verbal way.

It is said the history between Alexander and Diogenes goes beyond that. Diogenes was made a prisoner several times by Alexander's father, King of Macedonia. Diogenes is also perceived as brazen and ill-mannered because of his unconventional behaviour.  Alexander too has been believed to have said, "If I were not Alexander, I would like to be Diogenes."

कई सदियाँ बीत गयी,
इसकी दीवारें अब तक बुलंद हैं,
हज़ारों आंधियां,तूफ़ान, युद्ध देखे हैं इन्होने,
फिर भी ना टस से मस हुई हैं. 

वर्षों पहले आये,
एक राओ जोधा की तपस्या और लगन का,
अनेको महावीरों के खून- पसीने का
परिणाम है ये.

माँ की छाया जैसे,
प्रजा की रक्षा करी इस महा दुर्ग ने.
सूर्य का सुनहरा रंग ले कर,
सूर्यनगरी की शान बना है ये.

                                                                                                           

                      -------------- 558 glorious years of Jodhpur---------------
(12 May 1459)

The nation felt vindicated after the SC's judgement to hang the accused in Nirbhaya's dreadful rape of 16 December 2012.

The ruling however has also attracted opposition as protesters of capital punishment deem it barbaric and inhumane. While I too personally advocate diversified forms of punishment, it is at the moment too unrealistic to demand. We have an even fundamental goal to achieve, i.e., to ensure speedy trials and delivery of justice. There is a  huge backlog of cases piled up, lakhs of individuals waiting for redressal/rights and hundreds of criminals yet to be punished for crimes committed a decade ago. It took almost 5 years for the verdict of the Nirbhaya case itself to be ruled.
Before questioning the forms of justice, it is more necessary to do away with the primary flaws- delay in action taken, witness protection, evidence tampering, et al. Worse still, many times due to hand greasing, the culprit easily escapes being arrested, let alone a case being filed against him/her.

Also, introducing unconventional methods of punishment will further lead to complications- What kind of punishment for what degree of crime? Which crime deserves physical harm and which does not? Usually there's a fine line between intensity of two crimes, how will it be identified and treated? And mind it, it is 'crime' we are talking about, not civil violations or contract breaches. While it is easy to conceptualize the idea of unconventional justice forms for such tort, it is highly complex and an issue of grave concern when implemented on a heinous crime like murder or rape. Till we do not have an efficient justice system in place, replacing capital punishment with any non-traditional form of punishment will be futile and full of hassles, leading to only more delayed justice.

All said and done, the Supreme Court's decision is commendable. It won't bring our sister back; the parents will not get their daughter back, it is not a substantial guarantee that rapes will stop, but at least her horrendous culprits won't breathe anymore while we ache for her.

Pink is the new Blue

They divided toys-
dolls for the girls,
balls for the boys.
They stereotyped behaviour-
She should be charming, sincere and soft
He should be strong, dominant and full of valour.

Ambitions were manipulated too,
She controlled, restricted or home-bound,
and he could do whatever he chose to.

But their kids were rebellious,
their actions inappropriate
and wrong outrageously.
The lad liked princess movies,
and the girl, superhero stories.
He loved drawing floral print,
and she lived to sprint .
Gender was now colour blind,
Blue became the new pink
and pink, the new blue.
 


Moving rapidly towards attaining gender equality and breaking gender-related stereotypes , Pink- supposedly held to be a symbol of feminity, is replacing 'boyish' Blue.
Be it fashion trends where male models are increasingly seen to be sporting various shades of pink in stripes and solids or corporate offices which are hiring more women than ever, females are bravely overcoming all kinds hindrance to enter fields till now dominated by males. And it is not just about women empowerment, it is also about breaking myths and prejudices attached to gender and narrowly perceived gender roles.
Pink is no longer a shade resembling womanhood, it is now becoming what it is supposed to be, just a colour. With participation and representation of woman rising, there is also an influx of males into so- called feminine sectors of hospitality, art, household chores, fashion, etc. And as prevalent gender roles reverse, both pink and blue are shedding their sex-based characteristics, acknowledging gender is not bi-chromatic but a beautiful spectrum.

Next year this time
don't you say you love me,
Unless you take out the poison you corroded my bosom with,
and trash it in a bin,
and stop smoking so much,
for it pollutes my children's breath and skin.

Next year this time,
don't you say you care for me,
Unless you stop butchering my kids in the ocean,
stop uprooting innocent lives from my forests,
and start nurturing them with some emotion.

Next year this time,
don't you say you worry about me,
Unless you stop wasting away my treasures
disrespecting them for your pleasure
and start acting wisely.

Next year this time,
don't try to woo me,
by celebrating me for one day
when you blatantly kill me every day.

- Mother Earth  on Earth Day

APPLE- Made in India

After his visit to India, Tim Cook announced Apple is planning to set up a manufacturing unit in Bengaluru. This decision has been welcomed and considered a big boost to the ‘Make in India’ campaign. However, whether Apple will benefit from this is debatable.

Here is what this decision means for India.

India is a crucial market for Apple in terms of future growth, considering that the US, Europe and China markets are pretty saturated. However, it presently commands a mere 1.1 percent market share, as opposed to its rival Samsung, which has around 22.6 percent of the market and is the clear leader in India. Apple has ambitious plans of taking its revenue to $3 billion in two years, which is twice its current revenue in India.

Benefits for India if Apple sets up its manufacturing unit:

1.     If iPhones are manufactured in India, then they would automatically be a whole lot cheaper as the imports and the duties would be taken away. Thus, the pricing would finally match the international pricing of the phones. It would definitely mean a more decently priced device rather than the now overpriced version.

2.   Manufacturing within the country can make it much easier for people to not only buy the products but also to repair them as the time taken will be lessened.

3.   With Apple stores, users will be able to buy directly from the local stores, without having to queue up outside distributor outlets in the country.

4.    If Apple begins manufacturing in India, then the wait will be shorter and Indians will get their iPhones along with the rest of the world. They won’t be the last ones in queue anymore. 

According to a Morgan Stanley report, India is expected to beat the US to become the second-largest market for smart phones next year.

A rather shocking fact is that Apple has shown no intentions of making dual sim phones. This seems to be in stark contrast to Samsung, which not only makes dual SIM variants of its flagships phones, but also exports devices it makes at its Indian plants.

 The local team has been pushing for a dual-SIM iPhone, a feature that is present on over 80 percent of the smart phones selling in India. If Apple plans to make its smart phones in India, and for India, it seems a bit pointless to not have features which are the most demanded in India. Its rivals such as Google, keep regularly engaging with Indian consumers as well as the government; Samsung has been making in India since before the ‘Make in India’ campaign even started. Apple certainly has to collaborate more with Indian advisors if they intend to increase sales.

Currently, most part of the iPhone sales in India is driven by the older models which are priced around Rs 20,000.  Many rival firms sell phones with the exact features that Indian consumers demand, like dual-sim, easy synching with android, USB and flash drives and many others in a range of just Rs9,000-Rs 15,000, none of which iPhone offers. The high prices of iPhones are also due to Apple’s policy of gaining high margins on the sale of each phone rather than focussing on bulk of sale; a policy that will hinder its success in a populous country like India.

Apple has also been keen on getting permission to import and sell refurbished iPhones in India. A similar proposal by the company was rejected by the environment ministry in 2015, and even the ministry of telecommunications reportedly had some reservations about it. The industry ministry also opposed this proposal.

This decision must not have been an easy one for Apple, given that it will have to source about 30 per cent of inputs locally. How they cross this hurdle will be interesting, especially since the company has sought exemption from this norm. The finance ministry had turned down this application.
Earlier, the company had also sought a change in the labelling norm of the government so that the aesthetic value of its products is maintained. It has also reportedly sought a 15-year customs duty holiday on imports of iPhone kits, new and used capital equipment, and consumables. The inter-ministerial panel has a tough decision to make, as offering any fiscal or other incentives specifically to Apple, could invite criticism from others that are going to be or have been deprived of such benefits.

Also, GST is set to be rolled out in July. It will subsume taxes such as central excise duty, service tax, countervailing duty, value-added tax, octroi and purchase tax. This will have a major impact on tax exemptions offered now and Apple might not be able to avail the relaxations it seeks. These exemptions and relaxations are important for Apple because its component makers (mainly in Thailand and Singapore) may not relocate immediately to India, increasing its dependence on imported parts.

Despite the initial teething problems, this may prove to be a very profitable venture for Apple in the long run since it already has good repute, especially in the country’s youth. If it manages to harness the domestic potential and cater to local demands, it can make great use of the strength of the market it is investing in, a large consumer base.

How will Brexit impact Britain's Financial Industry?

Recently, Goldman Sachs and many other big firms decided to relocate their head offices to places outside Britain. As Britain moves closer to officially withdrawing from the European Union, the most affected sector is bound to be its financial sector.

Today, almost half of the world’s financial firms have their European headquarters based in London, and more than 1 million people work in the financial sector in the UK including services like banking activities, insurance, asset management and market infrastructures. With related professional services (accounting, legal, advisory, etc), the total amount reaches 2.2 million people. The financial sector earned about GBP 200 billion (approximately 11% of UK’s GDP) in total revenues  in 2015, half of which pertains to domestic activities, while the other half includes international business related with the EU and other foreign markets. This represents about 24% of all EU financial services, and generates about GBP 60 - 67 billion (3.5% of GDP) in taxes each year.

The financial services sector, together with the related professional services sector, has developed over many years into an interdependent and interconnected ecosystem comprising a large variety of firms providing world-class services, products and advice. This ecosystem brings significant benefits to financial institutions and to the corporations and households they serve.

The high level of inter-connectedness within this ecosystem means that the effects of any exit from the EU agreement are likely to extend beyond business done directly with EU clients. Impacts to one part of the ecosystem will invariably have knock-on effects elsewhere. For example, a firm that loses its EU customers may no longer have the scale to operate profitably in the UK, and so exit altogether.

Impact of the UK’s exit from the EU on the financial services sector will vary dramatically with how much access to the EU is retained. A high access scenario is likely to minimise disruption to the sector, benefiting customers who have come to rely on the UK as a uniquely skilled and connected centre for financial services. It would also enable the UK to maximise the growth opportunities that could arise from the UK’s exit from the EU as well as the continuation of the UK as a centre of regulatory excellence.
In a low access scenario, the impact is likely to be much larger, and an impact to the ecosystem could magnify losses.

However, banks, insurers and asset managers have come to the conclusion there is no realistic chance of maintaining full passporting rights after Brexit that would allow them to sell all their services across the 28- nation bloc from Britain. Thus, Britain's finance industry has given up on efforts to keep full access to the European Union after Brexit and is pushing instead, for a more limited trade deal that would potentially exclude some financial products.

TheCityUK, the country' most powerful financial lobby group, in a recently published report, called for limited market access for some finance sectors based on a pact, in which Britain and the EU would accept each other's rules. This would keep the door open for cross-border trading of stocks and bonds, and sales of certain other products

There is likely to be fresh scope for exploring opportunities arising from new networks of trade and investment agreements that the UK will negotiate with its partners. Next generation agreements that embrace market access, regulatory coherence, and a range of new issues have the potential to play a vital role in delivering these benefits. It is therefore critical to bear in mind that there is a huge advantage to the UK from aligning with global standards of regulation, as these will prove to be the base on which future agreements will need to be structured.