Ramana Gove

News of India’s fatality rate at 2.25% and recovery rate at 64%   has prompted me to choose this for today’s post ! Indeed the news cheers all. India is a country with a high demographic dividend with one of the youngest populations in the world.India’s working age population (people between 15 and 64 years of age ) has now grown larger than the dependent population (below 14 and above 65 years)  The term demographic dividend means the economic growth potential as a result of shifts in a population’s age structure.Now probably the nation is blessed with another kind of demographic dividend in terms of immunity (vital for potential health).the young population has contributed to. Apart from various measures adopted, a number of factors like the age of the affected, that of succumbed, morbidity factors, region they (patients) belong to, gender, blood groups, time lapse between the detection and initiation of remedies, food habits etc are believed to play key role in ...

The yellow metal has been a source of attraction in terms of its lustre, safe haven status,and easy liquidity and more than anything else, the traditional attachment to it in countries like India.The metal has rallied aggressively of late.After a historic high of about $ 1917 an ounce in Aug 2011, it has touched a high of about $ 1880 now!   [One (troy) ounce=31.1 grams and $1~Rs.75/].Since silver is a by product,its price follows in tandem with that of gold and also because it has several uses in different industries.   In India, gold attracts an import duty plus GST with   a total tax incidence of  about 15%..The same tax incidence holds good for silver too. Back home, the price of pure gold (24 ct)    has crossed Rs 51,000/-per 10gm and that of ornament gold ( 22 ct) has crossed Rs.48,000/- per 10 gm , though the prices change somewhat from place to place.The prohibitively high price has kept the retail demand subdued. Gold is continuously tr...

There   are two things a learner must be comfortable with; the meaning ( of what is written or explained) and the concept involved.If the former is not clear, the latter can not be grasped.This is more so in subjects like basic sciences, mathematics etc.In many cases it so happens that the student is stuck at the meaning itself unable to understand what the sentence means ! The MT ( mother tongue ) is the channel through which we   imitate  sounds, repeat them, frame the words, stutter sentences initially, then build up the skills to express, communicate and interact with every one we comes across ! Such is the rock bed of platform on which the edifice of learning is built. We can not do away with English, as text books in many subjects from college level are in English and more so at higher levels in pure science and streams of applied science like engineering and medicine ! The teaching at lower levels may use English terms but medium of explanation,expression and...

News of cities and states going into lockdown again ( in many parts of the globe too ) should make us introspect ! In any crisis of such dimension, public   participation is equally important.Undoubtedly, more number of tests is the need of the hour now.With air borne transmission too being almost confirmed the need for social distancing, wearing mask and frequent hand wash form the most important strategy ! No doubt, awareness through media and alerts through caller tunes on mobiles etc played an important role ! But     greater awareness explaining why caution is needed     for the safety and economy of the individuals and that of the nation too may be promoted aggressively!. Reports from various sources indicate that the coronavirus outbreak has caused losses to the tune of about Rs.30 lakh crores to the national economy. . One can guess how long it takes to make up this loss.Making up such a loss would inevitably lead to a higher cost of living, highe...

It is well known that obesity is one of the manny problems having health implications and is a growing menace ! Well, compared to the life style people used to have about 2 to 3 decades ago,our lives today are more mechanised and are devoid of the need for physical labor.Inother words, we are rather    propelled into a sedentary lifestyle,while the technological advances have made life easier ! All these in a way are driving our lives to be sluggish and lazy.Naturally, with no major chances of the energy consumed being spent, we may put on weight and even may dive ourselves in to obesity too ! Well, a suitably    framed message that can stir,trigger and prompt an individual to dive into physical activity is a good solution ..The message may be some thing like “be active to avoid hefty health bills” OR “‘think of a while, of those dependent on you” OR    “your family needs your care for a longer time” OR “you should be an inspiration to your children” ...

Fear is an unpleasant emotional response to a perception of harm or danger either real or imaginary! The perception of threat may be physical or mental or both ! If we dive deep into the past and introspect, we find most of the fears we had were often not real and or even baseless.Fear   prevents  the individual from his or her abilities being put to optimum use.Also there will be a lot of difference in the quality of outcome from a task performed with and without fear.It is not an exaggeration to say that many students do not score well in the written exams and     interviews     just because of fear but not not because of the needed talent or potential. There are some strategies which are of help at least in select situations.One important strategy is to focus less on the result and more on the effort.Another one is to assert yourself that you are unique, in the world in the     sense that, there is no one else like you.You may be shocked to ...

Studies on  population are important because governments struggle to put in lot of efforts in ensuring justifiable access of resources such as water, food, shelter, livelihood, health, education etc to     the citizens. They should also plan for issues like environmental impact, gender equality, law and order, human rights etc all vital for a healthy sustenance. Once the population becomes unwieldy, inadequate resources, wealth inequalities, exploitation of the needy by the greedy may be the logical consequences resulting in unruliness and unrest. Thus effective perceptions of population growth and its socio economic implications all assume a great significance, more so in the present day context ! Today being the World Population Day, some interesting aspects relevant to the context: * The  theme  this year is based on safeguarding the health and rights of women and girls around the   world   especially during the time of COVID-19 pandemic. *Po...

The decision by US to  withdraw from WHO effective July 2021 is  one of the most undesirable moves Trump has ever made ! At a time when the entire world is grappling with the pandemic with no near sight of any breakthrough to arrest the spread, the news is indeed shocking..More than the financial aid, the  superpower withdrawing support for global cause and standing aloof from the  world stage is difficult to comprehend  ! The US has always been at the forefront in guiding the global programmes and in transforming and shaping the progress of mankind by extending its expertise, experience and economy ! For an economy of the size of US [ ~$ 21 trillion which is ~Rs.1600 lakh crore], the aid of ~ Rs 3000 crore is simply a pittance !.No doubt, the apex body should have acted based on a real time monitoring of the developments in Wuhan instead of relying on the inputs from there, but that is all water under the bridge now ! Efforts must be accelerated...

Having seen the bitter implications of the globalisation in the current crisis, the events may compel the nations to look inward for self reliance in vital areas and new trade alignments may unfold.Nations may dig deep into the causes for the outbreak from the epicentre in China and if an iota of evidence supports an unpalatable link between the cause and effect for the outbreak, the second largest economy may experience a severe backlash from other major economies and this too helps paving way for a new global order. However, as every cloud has a silver lining, there is still a ray of hope for India amidst the apparent global scenario of gloom and doom which is, the way we can take advantage of the situation.With the second largest working group population and third largest scientific and technological manpower in the world, we can redirect our efforts to usher into a stronger nation by concentrating on indigenous production be it in defence or essentials such as APIs (...

Continuous research is going on, on corona virus.In a new development, about 300 scientists from 32 countries outlined the evidence to show that smaller particles can infect people.The team is reported to have written to the WHO to revise guidelines on airborne transmission. Now experts feel that the virus can also spread by aerosols (small droplets ) when one breathes or talks or sings especially with exertion.This perhaps explains the reason why asymptomatic carriers too can be contagious! Now that the air borne transmission too is thought of, there is a greater need for the people to follow the instructions issued by the government, which is the greatest service to nation at this juncture ! The ruled:Responsibility of management of the pandemic rests equally with the people ! It is shocking to find people on streets without maintaining minimum precautions such as social distancing ( minimum 6 ft ),wearing mask and frequent hand sanitisation.Avoiding spitting or sneezing ...

The nation is the third most affected country in the world, pushing Russia back. A metropolitan city doctor making a fervent appeal to fellow doctors not attending  hospital despite the availability of beds and ventilators should enable one feel the extent of panic created by the pandemic and it is understandable that these fears are rational too.The rest of the blog I want to divide the action from the part of the rulers and the ruled too that can provide a kick in the butt . From the rulers:: The governments  may provide to all Covid-19 warriors ( medical and health, sanitation staff, police etc) a substantial increase in the compensations such as insurance coverage to these individuals and their family members.This should cover the costs of hospitalisation in the best possible facilities and also the risk coverage in the event of succumbing to the infection Also special pay in the form of risk allowance equal to a part of monthly pay for at least 3 months to st...

🌈☀️ 🌳💦💨🦍🌴🌾🦜🦚🌵🌹⛈🌊 Time and again, there have been warnings on the perils of climate change.The unprecedented heat wave across Europe,rains not seen in the last hundred years in Chennai( a bout three years ago), massive floods and droughts,hotter and hotter spells of summer,havoc created by cyclones like Fani in Odisha and Amphan in West Bengal etc all of recent origin are grim reminders for us to be alert to avert the impending crisis.It is shocking to note that about 10 million trees are uprooted by the cyclone Fani. No doubt we want development but not at the cost of the very sustenance.Arresting deforestation,reducing,fossil fuel consumption,promoting greenery etc are steps to be aimed at an accelerated pace. Let us remind ourselves that a tree inhales carbon dioxide and exhales oxygen-the exact opposite of humans.As a tree matures,it can consume ~22 kg of CO2 per year ( among other GHGs like ozone )and can release enough oxygen for us to breathe for two years ...

The recent decision by the Trump administration on immigration visas is like a bolt from the blue for many.People fly to US for better learning and earning chances despite several hardships faced by the parents,their near and dear.For many it is a long long struggle to get the position they dreamt of before.However with grit, gusto and guts,they slog on to realise their dreams.For the last one year there has been a radical change in the immigration policies for foreign students. The ‘Buy American,Hire American’ policy seems to be gaining momentum, more so with elections hardly a few months away and the unemployment numbers in the US reaching alarming levels. Undoubtedly, there will be many new geo political equations on the global front in the    current scenario, with lives and livelihoods shattered,economies battered and beaten, China in border disputes with neighbour nations,trade tussles, re-alignment of nations, near no where cure for corona,and the like.Many na...

Renewable Energy is a burning  topic across the globe in view of the impending perils due to climate change ! A commendable report on the commitment to climate change by the Indian government ! India has ambitiously achieved renewable energy of about 83GW out of 175 GW target set for 2015-22 and has set itself an ambitious target of 275 GW by 2027.But going at same pace, an interim target of 225 GW can be set and met by 2024 ! As on October 2019, 83 GW of renewable energy has been made operational out of which, about 32 GW is from solar, 37.GW from wind, 10 GW from bio-power and 5 GW from hydro power.As of 31 March 2020, about 36% of India's installed electricity generation capacity is from renewable sources, generating  about 21% of total utility electricity in the country. Countries like Brazil attaining ~80% of renewable energy in the total mix and countries like Saudi with only 0-5% , indicates that there is an urgent need to accelerate the mechanisms needed to ...

  At times we the people give more importance to symbolism than the spirit embedded in it ! The best example is the number of statues of great leaders of yore some erected even with great pomp and fanfare. Many of them including that of the Father of the Nation are at the centres of busy junctions of traffic where people simply look at them to find  crows and pigeons sitting on them and shitting, some even with paints faded, limbs mutilated, may be in vandalism the order of the day, and in some cases ,the figures beyond any semblance of identification ! And all this on a road where even people in power keep on moving at jet speeds looking through the tinted glasses of BMWs or Limousines, zooming past the statues with roads kept fully cleared for their movement as if they are only meant for them, with no one practically bothered about the fate of them ! What a colossus waste and what a height of indifference and what a disgusting way of symbolism ? All this treatment for...

CDC-the top US health body has added three new symptoms to Covid -19, taking the total number of symptoms to about 12. The new symptoms are congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhoea. The development would keep  the government    and the people too to be more vigilant.This in turn increases the probability of increasing the number of tests. The chance for people to be more vigilant in following the instructions laid down because of a higher threat perception, also increases. Some people are under the impression that asymptomatic patients( patients without symptoms ) do not spread virus but the fact is,even though asymptomatic ,they too can spread the virus but because they do not cough or sneeze ( since asymptomatic ) they are not releasing as many droplets    and not spreading as much of the virus as are released by symptomatically affected. As per the findings of the reasearch conducted in Wuhan, China, it is observed that asymptoma...