Ramana Gove

Thermal screening everyday both at the entry and exit points, allowing limited work force in duty in the beginning, maintaining distance, arranging hand sanitisers,frequent sanitisation of premises, not to permit entry without masks are the most important if business is to continue ! Also arranging commuting facility for staff is preferable.People close to the working spot be allowed to report in the early days so that lesser time in commuting minimises the chance of infection. At least on day one, it is better to assemble all the staff and to address and appraise them once again, the possible symptoms to be aware of, precautions to be taken,importance of boosting one’s own immunity,necessity of proper food and rest.At the same time, it is better to instil confidence by citing that Covid -19 can be better managed if instructions by the authorities are properly followed The managements should not be over ambitious in compensating for the loss of production and should not insist on o...

Hai everyone !  “83 killed after being hit by lightning in Bihar”- a news item that drew my attention. I changed the decision and selected this topic in view of the need ! “When thunder roars, go indoors” -is a good dictum  !  A person struck by lightning needs medical care immediately to save life. Cardiac arrest and irregularities, burns, and nerve damage are common in cases of attack.With immediate treatment including CPR ( if necessary ),most victims survive.  Victims are not electrified. IT IS SAFE TO HELP THEM . A house is the safest place during a storm.An inside room is generally safe.Be away from windows, electrical appliances, wires,TV cables, metal doors, plumbing, metal frames ,taps, showers etc.Never take shelter under a tree. Avoid areas where you are the tallest object in the area. Ex.An umbrella increases risk if it makes you the tallest object in the area. Avoid water bodies such as lakes, beaches, swimming pools etc.Not t...

We know the way Trump has been holding China responsible for the havoc created through pandemic across the globe in general and US in particular.In fact even few scenes of xenophobia were reported with Chinese scorned.and snubbed at  when seen on streets or supermarkets and good that the trend did not gain momentum, Trump wanted a thorough political, diplomatic and a scientific probe in to the events at Wuhan lab that culminated in the global disaster.Leaders of many other nations too are vocal about such a proposal.However China offered some resistance initially to this proposal saying that  the virus was natural but not man made. It is human to attribute success to us and failures to others, more so in politics.But the world has been paying a heavy price due to the outbreak whether it is natural or man made and accidental or intentional ! Even an advanced country like the US did not seem to take it serious enough in the beginning and the delay delivered a body bow.China ...

Well, some amount of stress may be good for the individual as it increases competitive spirit, better output, keeps one physically and mentally agile too ! But as is established, chronic stress is undesirable, both to body and mind.An introspective analysis enabled me understand that emotions like fear, anxiety, apathy, disgust and distress, brooding, sedentary life style, form the root cause for stress.Loneliness and aloofness are the the best friends for stress.Usually a lonely person dives into the failures, troubles and  traumas, if any, of the past which develop stress and it may even spoil his or her present happy moments.Feelings like love and affection, sympathy and empathy, caring and sharing, an active and ambitious life style should help de stressing one self.Since chronic stress may contribute to many psychosomatic changes such as depression, changes in blood sugar levels in diabetics etc, ways and means of relieving stress are gaining popularity these days. To star...

We come across several people discussing day-today problems in trains and coffee clubs who go on feeling that things should have been done like this or like that and so on. We find many active people of all ages from 18 to 80 having a burning desire to do something for the betterment of the country, be it in the form of suggestions or feedback or actions. But the problem is to find a proper platform where they can give vent to their feelings and make the presence of their actions felt. For all such people there are certain things which are simple in nature and yet yield immense benefits for the country at large. For instance, switching off, of all the electrical appliances while not in use ! This saves one’s monthly bill ,helps nation’s economy and helps to minimise pollution. Avoiding wastage of water and food is another noble task. Treat wastage of these as nothing short of sin.The resources such as food, water, power etc belong to nation ( ie all of us ).It is shocking to not...

Asia’s richest man Mukesh Ambani of Reliance Industries has wiped off its massive debt of about Rs.161000 crore in less than two months, much earlier than the set goal to make RIL debt free by March 31 2021.A major amount is realised from the sale of stakes in Jio Platforms to 10 investors including Facebook and the rest from rights issue ( which is a company’s invitation to the existing share holders to purchase additional shares ) .The combined capital raised has no global precedence in such a short time.These are also unprecedented in Indian corporate history It is indeed a stupendous achievement by this corporate behemoth, more so at a time when there is an economic lull across the globe. RIL ! A dream scrip for novices and experts alike for the simple reason that it fetches good  returns on the investment if one plays cautious and it is no exaggeration  that it decides trends on the capital markets. It is a scrip that both investors and traders have a special fascinati...

Greetings on the eve of  “International Day of Yoga” The theme for 2020 is "Yoga for Health - Yoga at Home" The word yoga means union ! Said to be the union of the finite with the infinite. There is one essential diffrrence between conventional physical and yogic exercises.The former need aggressive and vigorous pace to tap the benefit while the latter need a ,composed ,calm and controlled movements to get the optimum benefits.The former act on the physical plane to a larger extent while the latter act on the emotional plane.There is a school of thought advocating therapeutic potential to certain ailments through the practice of this ancient legacy. I believe there should be a greater thrust for a scientific research in evolving practice profiles for the curative effect for specific ailments where,things like the posture(s) to be practiced,the length of the session,number of days needed and the expected results through the relevant diagnostic tests etc are to be formu...

The COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed the worst of its fury in the US, both in terms of the number of people tested positive and in the number succumbing to the deadly virus.With a peerless position of prominence in the world, in virtually every vital walk of life, the nation is shaken to its roots, leaving the rulers and the ruled with sleepless nights.With pandemic on one hand and with presidential elections hardly four months away,it is indeed a tough time for Trump to navigate through troubled waters,with no silver bullet in sight.The massive rise in unemployment,shutdown of  enterprises,men and machines forced to take rest,naturally would create a deep dent on the economy of the nation. The fiscal stimulus announced may tone down the intensity of the commotion but how long it takes for retracing the normal trajectory, depends on the waning down of aggression of the pandemic, all of which in turn,decide the extent of gain or drain of confidence in the voter or the consumer, with...

Perhaps there has never been such a race to find an iota of clue that helps fighting the pandemic successfully.A study found  that in England, one in four who die in hospital with Covid-19 has diabetes.Studies on type 1 and type 2 diabetes related to the prognosis in Covid-19 suggested that type 1 has a slightly higher risk relative to type 2.However it was perceived that even the so called differences observed are lesser in degree when age of the infected is taken into account.Yet another study on 120 patients says that blood group O is associated with lower risk compared with non-O blood groups whereas blood group A is associated with higher risk in Covid-19 compared with non-A  blood group.Another study felt that diabetes may alter the prognosis of Covid-19 and that Covid-19 can lead to diabetes of either of the two types or even of a novel type.Another report revealed that when men and women are being infected with Covid-19 at similar rates, a significantly higher propor...

Probably the US India alignment is what China is not able to assimilate ! Trump has his own interest in India to woo the Indian voters there with presidential elections hardly a few months away ! India has strategic interests in its ties with US ! Why China has taken suddenly a different stand of crossing the border at a critical juncture like this seems puzzling, as the issue has been there for decades.The only non communist mighty country having a land border with it among the the 14 countries (such as North Korea,Russia,,Pakistan,Vietnam,Nepal, Bhutan, Laos,Myanmar et)c being India and cornering it using Nepal as a pawn may be a part of its strategy for economic gains through undue advantages in trade rather than for a piece of land now ,though it was the  case wayback ! Nepal has been dependent on India for a long time for imports of many essentials! However its dependency is now less as the void is filled by China through its ambitious expansion plans ! It strategically fu...

It is sad that the common man is again burdened with the hike in fuel prices.The tiny doses in surge over the last ten days have led to a hike of about Rs 5/ per litre each on petrol and diesel.Crude on the international market touched a two decade low of  of less than $18/ barrel in the second week of April and started rebounding after an increase in  the production cuts to clear the glut. It is now at $36 after reaching $40. There is a probability for crude to dive further and remain in a comfortable zone through out this fiscal due to various reasons : 1.huge pile of supply inventories of about 1 billion barrels (1 barrel ~160 litres) 2.diminished demand in the last couple of months 3.probability of a resurgence of second wave of corona 4 fears of recession looming large on major economies and consequent prolonged slump in demand. As far as India is concerned, it has been in a quite a comfortable price band since 2014 and more so in the last three months.It touched as...

We could not tap the optimum during the zenith of the recent trade war between US and China when some of the production hubs were on a shifting spree.Let us not miss the boat now.It is glad that hectic attempts have been going on from the government side, through policy changes, administrative accommodations to woo the investors intending to leave China. Several countries like Japan, Taiwan. Australia, US are actively chalking out plans to relocate their companies out of China.Counties like Japan are  offering financial packages for their companies intending to relocate from China and with several competitive contestants such as Bangladesh, Taiwan, Indonesia and Vietnam in the fray to woo them, it is indeed a matter of achievement if we draw a good number of potential companies ! It is learnt that large chunks of land banks to a tune of 4.62 lakh hectares are already earmarked for setting up of industries and there are  even alternate land parcels available to provide land...

it is now easier to go for more number of tests.Even the other day, there was a report of a new technique developed by IIT-H, which can give report in 20 minutes and at much less than Rs.500/.Also this is the time when established private labs too are authorised to conduct the tests at affordable costs, so that those interested can have an access and undergo testing ! The centre has authorised some labs in the private sector, and the states need to take advantage of this.There may be a very large number of asymptomatic carriers and once tested positive, they can be made to simply undergo home quarantine with  the probability of spreading awfully reduced and it indirectly helps the management of the pandemic easier for government with lesser burden on public health.Such large number of asymptomatic carriers  is an indirect measure of another positive outcome which is ‘ herd immunity ‘. Besides, testing helps understanding the profile of the spread of the pandemic in differe...

It is good to note the recent announcement by the country’s indigenous medicine ministry AYUSH that India would test four Ayurvedic formulations to treat the corona virus.A very good initiative and better late than never ! It is a pity that why such an active study for a system with an age old history and efficacy is not being carried out till date, especially a system that is supposed to have the least side effects ! We have rich past in systems like Yoga, Ayurveda, Siddha etc.wWe are proud of all this but feel painful looking  at the way these systems are not gathering the attention and interest they should. The main reason seems to be lack of active scientific research.Quite shockingly and stunningly,the investment and infrastructure needed for research may be much lesser compared to that needed for modern medicine.We are in a scientific world where everything is studied, experimented and calibrated and that is where the modern medicine has a superior edge which these systems ...

Suppose you want to close a door ! Would you place your hand at the free end, far from the hinges or at fixed end ? For sure, you would place at the free end ! Though you may not know the principle of science behind, your body knows the language of science , the language of convenience and comfort ! Let us observe a book lying on the table and and a car moving on a road ! Does the book move on its own or the car stop on its own? Common sense with no knowledge of science tells us that the the answers are “NO”. This common sense observation was questioned by Newton to find out the reason the how and why, and we have before us,the famous “Newton’s Laws of Motion”which revolutionised entire perception of our understanding of the events we see in daily life and changed the course of science and civilisation.  It is understandable that science in a way, involves common sense and the great thing that distinguishes a scientist from the ordinary is the role played by inquisitiveness and...

New Zealand received appreciation from various corners of globe for the way it eliminated corona at least for now ! This small island country with a population of about 50 lakhs and a population density( people / sq km of land area )of 18 reported about 1500 cases and 22 deaths.As per the figures, the fatality rate in the small nation is 1.4% Probably the short gap between the detection of first case (reported on Feb 28th ) and imposition of lockdown ( on March 26th) must have paid rich dividends ! At the time when lockdown was imposed, there were 100 cases with no deaths.So it was a ‘go early ,go hard’ approach.At this stage a stringent lockdown, with a month long home quarantining the population and making the best use of the period for evolving effective social distancing practices, ramping up the testing facilities and vigilance protocols on the entry ports, quarantining practises for foreigners, all in tandem aimed at elimination strategy, have rescued the nation. The geography o...

Let me extend my heartfelt appreciations for the service rendered by Sonu Sood in attending to the crisis of stranded migrants.His conduct in the context is exemplary and extraordinary too ! There are many others in the film industry who took care of wages and welfare of workers in the industry during the lock down.And we have the corporate and industry behemoths who donated hundreds of crores !All these exhibited exemplary gestures of magnanimity ! Right since college days I have been an active proponent of DBT ( direct benefit transfer ) and ‘ donations in kind ‘! If people pouring in donations to various heads take up relief measures such as constructing state of the art hospitals, arranging testing facilities,PPE to the front liners, arranging meals and medicines, logistics for the stranded poor and needy at such a crisis in a century and all these, by mobilising men, material and machinery of the respective donors without troubling the government, imagine what would have been t...

These are certain preferable precautions to be kept in mind with use of a mobile ! Dos : Maintain as much distance as possible from body preferably with hands free kit. Maintain enough distance from others to minimise passive radiation influence. Hold phone to the ear opposite to the side where a device like 'pace maker' is implanted. Use a phone with anti radiation fabric or paint or metallic foil wall paper etc available as a protective measure. Restrict the call to as shorter a duration as possible. Prefer landline phone when you have access to it, as it emits no radiation. Ensure that : Children below 15 ideally are kept away from using mobiles. Use of mobile phone by pregnant women is preferably avoided as microwave radiation is absorbed by the amniotic fluid in which the foetus grows. You use both hands while typing text etc. Don'ts : Hold the phone too close to ears especially for long. Use the phone while the charging is in progress. ...

We come across several instances of negative facets in our lives and also in the society around us. A careful observation reveals that many of these have their positive shades too ! Take for instance, the very crisis we are facing right now ! No doubt it has created lot of hardships, but at the same time, there are many positive features too ! There is a lot of reduction in carbon emissions and pollution.People are staying at home and devoting much time to family.The stress levels in running from pillar to post for so many things in daily life have come down. Eating all kinds of unhygienic and junk food stuff outside is put an end to, prompting them to home made foods.Importance of personal hygiene through frequent hand wash is being realised. Importance of public hygiene too is realised as spitting in public is banned in some states. Spending has come down. The realisation of the great role played by mother and wife who work with no holiday is strikingly visible through several soc...

On the eve of “World Environment Day”, let us rededicate ourselves tp protect the planet by all means we can for our own sustenance and survival ! The theme for the day this year is “Celebrate Biodiversity “! The theme is apt when we understand that about 1 million species face the threat of extinction ! It is felt that climate change could cause abrupt biodiversity losses this century ! I am rather impressed by an article I read recently where in the writer says that the real culprit for climate change is wealth inequality and asks us to stop blaming population growth for this.I want to share my views on this with you all. A peculiar issue with climate change is that wealth inequality plays both the roles of cause and an effect too.While inequality is the cause of concern for greater climate change, the climate change exacerbates inequality.In the case of the former, the lesser privileged resort to carbon-intense utilisation thus aggravating the problem and In the latter, there ...

Undoubtedly internet is a source of knowledge, fun and pleasure, if properly made use of ! Gluing to internet has kept the youth away from indulging in undesirable acts such as drug addiction, roaming without purpose etc.However, the main draw back is that, the easy sources of entertainment such as mobiles, computer, TV and internet have made many minds dull in the sense that everything is ready with out the mind making an effort.I have seen many students even in plus two level being unable to give quick answers for a sum involving two digit multiplication or simple subtraction and finding the unknown from given expression. It's not because they are incapable ,but because the answer is ready in the calculator in the hand . Also, addiction to internet has made many isolated from off line social life.It has become a common practice now, that, if guests visit the house the children just peep in to say 'hello' and then be gone, engaging themselves either in chatting or br...

I am simply awed by the magnificent gesture by Miami police in the US as the country faces race protests on George Floyd’s death ! President Trump was asking them to dominate the agitators saying that he was ready to deploy the military too !violence was reaching dizzy heights .The president hiding himself in a bunker reveals the extent of fury and might of the protest. The police simply knelt down before the protestors in solidarity with them ! You know what happened ! The protestors came forward and hugged them ! So a simple and sensible gesture by men in uniform and power could tone down the intensity of the problem which would have cost the nation umpteen number of bullets, dollars, lives and livelihoods too ! Probably, this act would go down the pages of history and may help rewriting it at a time when the world is grappled with crises of unmanageable proportions-some natural and some man made ! What George Floyd did is indisputably wrong.But the treatment meted out to him ...

The concept of victory in modern wars is indeed an illusion, unless it is looked at from the perspective of the mass murder and mayhem witnessed and the economic and political losses incurred by the nations.With nuclear arsenals piled up and with potential capabilities to obliterate countries at the click of a button, going for war would be an act of insanity ! In the world we live in, when economies and essentials too are interlinked, the word war carries little meaning except that it causes more misery to the innocent citizens, and the only victory if any, may be political that too, ephemeral and wanes down when the consequences such as the standards of living of the citizens and the strategic position of the nations in the world start unfolding ! War once initiated in a corner of the world, has little possibility of confining to the epicentre without transmitting intense tremors across the globe that can create catastrophic cleavages. Thus, waging a war should be the last resort...

Increasing urbanisation may turn cities into concrete jungles unless due care and concern is given in increasing the civic amenities proportionately to the influx.Fresh air, water, sanitation, greenery, roads ,traffic ,pollution are the crucial factors to be considered.What I believe personally is, it is the increase in population density rather than the increase in population what aggravates the problems in urban areas.It is common to observe too many people preferring to stay in too small and too busy an area. If due attention is paid by providing faster access , granting special permissions for construction, incentives in municipal taxes, travel discounts for commuters etc for people from outskirts, incentivising edu care and medicare facilities in the outskirts, the intensity of the problem can be toned down and the residents also will have the advantage of spacious premises with lesser cost with access to almost all the amenities being ensured.There is a need for rethi...