Monday, September 06, 2010

The Call is ON: EMVT.

Time to get Techno and write something out of desire, thanks to few friends who are already paddling their feet onto the Accelerator, Brakes and Clutches, the ABC of driving.

The new age is on and with India already posing a challenge to the world for her ultra low cost model vehicle, the Tata Nano, already being on the road, its time that my Blog post # 386 talks something more exciting. And with a low on budget, space for accomodation but a super high desire, I would like to present to the Indian consumers, something very very interesting.

The idea of EMVT (Electric Motor Vehicle Transportation) was known to me, thanks to the Discovery Channel. Later on, when being associated with ZEN INTERNATIONAL, I had the opportunity to learn the art of searching and getting Gizmatic! I came across the Porsche, electric edition and the prototypes of Hyundai, back in 2009. all for electric cars. My inquistion led me to a website, to be surprised to see an Indian manufacture ruling the World with it's Electric Cars. REVA Motors, click here. The Cars...truly stylish and feels that ultra futuristic!

Now the War steepens up. With the regular, lowest cost Tata Nano coming at US$ 2200/- (Roughly Rs. 1.15 Lakhs), the Electric versions would be soon sleeking its space in the roads of the nation. The first Big name, a company of Indian origin ties up with Renault and Nissan to produce its first ULC (Ultra Low Cost???? ) vehicles which would be fully electrical, able to be cahrged on a mobile pin head. Its the Bajaj ULC.

The above model, prototype being revealed by the Bajaj MD, at an automobile show would cost as low as US$ 3000/- (Rs. 1.5 Lakhs), but rumours call it a bet at Rs 1.1 Lakhs, close the to the Tata Nano price. But just as Tata seemed to be outstered from the name game in the market, it reveals its Nanao EV, the electrical version of Nano, at the auto Show in Geneva. The picture shows the trendy Nano.



It is said that this master piece would cost Rs. 1.35 Lakhs to start off with, but in the price intensive market, even a single paise would do the required affinity towards a brand. Afterall, both being Indian having a well known expertise. Lets not forget, if Tata is one of India's biggest Multi-sectorial giant, Bajaj too played its part in making India proud, producing various electricals, apart from being India's second largest auto-bike producers!

What ever it may be, though Nano looks impressive on the go, I would call for the pricing... and by 2012, i would like to fulfill my dream!

... Follow Ups.

To carry forward with the previous post, today, I have been witness to some more nostalgia that brings the vivid pictures of my childhood. The Border, a patriotic movie and Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge captured all imaginations. 5th September, the birthday of Dr. S. Radhakrishnan is being celebrated as according to his desire, as Teacher's Day, since 1964. This, being a day to mark the tryst that the teachers of the nation use to put it annualy to reap a good mind in almost every child. With galore of Oldies being played by the cable channels, this impetus was enough to trigger the thought process to recollect the good old days of my school. Each year, on the occassion of Teachers' Day, the school was being decorated to the maximum, especially the auditorium where the main programs were being organized and the staff room. e used to celebrate the music and the air of celebrations, that we always had and expected to deliver to our teachers. There was always two segments of the program, one being the soccer match where the Sirs used to participate against a student team and the cultural and game-show program, where the lady teachers used to predominate the proceedings. .....ahhh, those days of Calcutta Boys' School.

But... as every post has a twisting social values within, I would like to write about the lack lustre texture of Teachers' Day. A few sms from some of my students who never fail to forget me (ahem...am not blowing it out of proportions!) But I wonder, how the term or celebration of Teacher's Day stands, by today's standards? A Teacher, has changed the meaning, thanks to some un-toward incidents that take place day in and day out.  And the Student has also done the same somesault to change it's meaning. Some incidents:
1) A Teacher asks for a Laptop, in one of the prestigious school in Kolkata, in return to promote a child. Even after recieving the Token of Gift (understand as alms to a beggar), the greed stepped up its tempo, ending the story into a tarnished image.
2) Same school, different incident leads to a student suicide.
3) In another case, a student commits suicide because he has been greeted with THE cane, when he was trying to slip in the class late. To add to the drama, the parents were blindly adamant to punish the teacher because the teacher landed a legtimate punishment to the child... (I have been detained outside the class, for the whole day for coming late and also for missing out a few books on another occasion. Both the time, I gained respect for Mrs. Zaffar, our class teacher in Class II and one of my favorite teacher. My Mom nor Dad have moved to the court, nor did I commit some "SWEET SITE"; as I would pronounce the act in those days. ;-P )

All the above action comes from the Jet Age, that lacks dignity at the helm.

Moving into politics, I guess Dr. Radhakrishnan wouldn't have liked the trend of reservation. The authorities may increase the seats....but not decrease the opportunity for the real bright students, in the face of farce of Education system in India. Today, the Victorian structure of Indian Education system makes the brains sharper than the Americans, who prefer to take a snap shot in their Polaroids, of the Board Work, rather than take down notes! At least we can use the lines of our fingers to calculate 3+ 4 = 7!!!

Why not 2+2....! Well, I had to prove my point...the American juggernauts know that by now, after hearing the jokes on them.. being thrown at the Beer Counter at the Billy's.... eh man?!

Politics within education and education for politics are the two fangs thats gripping the Indian Education system. I have always protested, and on this day, I woudl delightfully pick up the pen to protest again.  Please donot take Education as a weapon to win elections! Which ever the government that comes to the helm, they always deprive the good brain thanks to the Quota system for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other Backward Classes. Its a personal observation that these backwards classes live in posh locations around Kolkata. The political parties try to recapitulate the situation, on a path that is totally logic less as per the calculations! Divide on basis of Caste and Creed! In a land, where men like Mahatma Gandhi, Emperor Akbar have taken birth, tryin to erase all kind of castismn, seggregation on based of education ignites the splinter that the a secular nation like India tries to supress! Still the seggregation continues, although the Parties mention in Unity!

Copyright: Dec 2006. My M.Sc Classmates, Dept of Genetics, University of Calcutta.

Friday, September 03, 2010

Running Past My Shadow.

Can we ever Beat our Shadow, which grows longer each year...? We have to compromise with the thought that our shadows will always be nose ahead, where ever we grow! A progressive mind would comment on my last couple of lines and compare them to being pessimist, as man always run towards the Sun...so how Shadows grow in-front of you? The Laws of Physics also stays on the Critic's side, proving them right and me - wrong.

But....

Lets think it on a different frame:

How about running into the dark nights of Cold Death? The darkness smudges from the sides to bid your materialistic body a farewell.... from this Earth? Now that means running with the Sun behind you... and the shadow grows taller than you... Ah!!! Just like a Human heart, mind and desire, Physics takes my side...

Its all Relative!

Today, while going through the pages of Perspectives in Genetics and Cytology, an annual Scientific journal published by AICCG Organizing Committee, this time published from Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, a journal which I have played a part as Assistant Editor; it dawned on me that the All India Conference of Cytology and Genetics (AICCG), is almost over by nine months, last taking place in Dec, 2009. It dawned on me, that my association in the world of research has also taken a leap by ten months!

And then I turned into the pages of FaceBook....

Very recently, following one of my present Departmental Juniors, Smritikana, from Presidency College, Department of Physiology... I decided to put on the pictures of my Presidency Days (2003-2006). Since I lacked a handy and sleek digicam back in those days, most of my pics were Analog! In one pic, whose link I am sharing from facebook, I re-discovered the Goodtimes and Taste of a Good Senior Junior Relationship... something that I also mention to my Present Physiology students, to make this as a habit to interact with the seniors...

The point is: Those Days of Presi were Great... a reverberation that always makes me miss them!

The Link, click here.

The Picture:
Department of Physiology, Presidency College Picnic.
Somnath Paul, Dec 2003.

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

Apocalypse 2012

2012, be it predicted or technologically gagged and tagged as one of the most highly priced movie out of Hollywood, be it the Aztec calender that stops at 2012.... the World and its antenna looks up to the recent tremors in the world of space weather. Apocalypse 2012 is at which man kind stares. The Solar Maxima year, 2012-13 upholds one of the largest solar storm, thrown towards Earth, having the capacity of ~ 100 million Nuclear Bombs. Its DOOMS DAY!

Solar Flares and Solar Storms are caused by altering magnetic domains within the surface of the Sun. The Sun, as we all know is a highly molten mass Hydrogen and Helium, undertakes a fusion reaction liberating energy in form of heat and light. Due to un-equal rotation of the Sun's mass, the Equatorial regions spins at a faster rate compared to the polar caps! This churns the molten mass within the surface, creating cracks of magnetic shell on the surface; a region that is low in magnetic activity and fusion, creates black spots, called Sun Spots. The appearance of Sun Spots follows a rythm, where by it fluctuates between very low amount on the surface of the sun to large numbers. The year in which the later is achieved is called Solar Maxima and the other is Solar Minima.

Magnetic Lines of Force on Sun's Surface.
Courtesy: rst.gsfc.nasa.gov

The localized "holes" for inward and outward movement of the lines of force generates the black spots.

The Sunspots generated, conjoints and moves around on the surface and during an intense pack-up of the spots, the lines of force generates the flare of highly charged atioms / ions that can cause a number of damage to life, technology and properties.



The damage that can be dealt in a Sun Storm are:
1) Total Black out of digital communications and even the satellites will be effected.
2) High intensity of gamma rays can penetrate the earth's magnetic lines of force. If they do so, then they can cause immense degree of biological damage. God knows a whether 2012, the Apocalypse date be overcome by humans or not! Till then, we have no other options other than waiting for DOOMSDAY!

Winners...

Things have always been on change and what more, Blogger introduces the new stats section, which looks quite like Google analytics, which I have activated as well. My age have taken one more turn into the 27s...and few more grey lines have been spotted. I have also become conscious about the ripples and the cripples that have been associated lately behind eye horns! Man... ( and woman)... I am growing...ahem..OLD!

Its very hard to realize that Kolkata is losing some of its glories. With the old names in the Cinema Locality of Dharamatala and Esplanade already giving way to the Multiplexes around the city, my recent observation was regarding the hand drawn rickshaws being replaced by the tricycles... No doubt they demand less on power and energy, but the tradition goes as Kolkata (Calcutta) is the only city in the World these hand drawn carts and rickshaws still ply! Its too sad that we are living in the future super power State, called India, but we can't maintain such traditions, while our neighbors keep their Tradition's Flag hoisted up proudly. Yes I am talking about Pakistan...our neighbors who have maintained their tradition... First in post World War II they begged for some land from India and now they keep begging from the Bookies.... in their Cricket Matches abroad...! Gosh...we cant manage our tradition!!!

Recently, I have been enjoying pieces of mockery by MIR, in the The Telegraph. The recent one was a wit written on the condition of the roadways in the City of Joy, filled with Pot Holes! The mockery was too good. Since I donot have permissions for Re-prints, I would certainly recommend you to have a laugh, by visiting the Online edition! After all, it requires sheer innovation to compare the roads of dream in Kolkata with Hema Malini's Cheeks and the actual scenario as Om Puri's Cheeks! Cheeky!!

But anyways...all tribute to ANYONE... I have something for You Kolkata!!!

© Sep 2010. A Floral Tribute to Our Beloved City.

So who are the winners?

Guess............................................