Palliative care.

1. Improves quality of life

2. Provides relief

3. Relief from pain, fatigue, anxiety, depression and insomnia

4. Emotional and psychological support for patients and families

5. Provides clear communication and decision-making support

6. Helping patients understand treatment choices and align care with their values

7. Co-ordination of care across doctors, hospitals and home-based services

8. Support for caregivers, including counselling and respite

My take

An important aspect in today's world!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, lit up the puja room lamp, opened up the house for the day and switched on the hymns on the home theatre.

Morning cuppa with Lekha. 

Walked within the house; recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast of puri-bhaaji.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch. Watched serials on television.

Siesta.

The evening chores.

Union budget 2026.

Here are the highlights of the Union Budget 2026.

Infrastructure

7 high-speed rail corridors.

Bombay-Pune, Hyderabad-Bangalore, Pune-Hyderabad, Madras-Bangalore, Hyderabad-Madras, Bangalore-Varanasi, Varanasi-Siliguri.

Environment

Backing clean energy

Customs relief for lithium-ion battery inputs, solar and nuclear exemptions, carbon capture funding.

Agriculture

High-value crops

Emphasis on coconut, cashew, cocoa, sandalwood, sets aside Rs.350 cr for this push, aimed at raising farm incomes.

MSMEs

Rs.10K cr MSME growth fund

Big push to small businesses via capital support, faster payments, enhanced credit guarantees.

Healthcare

Medical tourism

Destination mapping to boost medical tourism, district trauma care and allied health professional training.

Manufacturing

Rs.40K cr for semi-conductors

Focus on renewable technology, battery supply chains and local value addition in advanced goods.

Education

Future readiness. University townships near industrial zones, creative tech labs in schools, committees tying education to jobs. 

My take

A strategic budget!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, opened up the house for the day, lit up the puja room lamp and switched on the hymns on the home theatre.

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked within the house; recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch and a delightful one at that!

Watched television followed by siesta.

To Dr Jimmy for review in the evening.

Pashupatinath Temple.

 Located on the banks of the Bagmati River in Khatmandu, Nepal. Pashupatinath is among the most consequential sacred spaces in the Shaiva world. Dedicated to Shiva as Pashupati - the Lord of all beings - it situates divinity not beyond life but within its full cycle - from birth to death. Regarded as one of the major Jyotirlingas, the temple anchors Nepal within the sacred Shaiva geography of South Asia. The shrine derives its sanctity from its function as a death facing tirtha.

Along the river bank, cremation pyres burn continuously, binding worship to impermanence. This amalgamated ritual field expresses the Shaiva principle: liberation approached through proximity to decay, not through withdrawal.

Spiritually, Pashupatinath does not promise escape from death but demands understanding of it. It trains the devotees to recognise mortality as initiation rather than catastrophe and decay as a teacher rather than an enemy. Daily observances here follow Vedic and tantric protocols. Pilgrimage intensifies during Maha Shivaratri, when large numbers of sadhus and devotees assemble.

My take

Sambho Mahadeva!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, opened up the house for the day, lit up the puja room lamp ans switched on the hymns on the home theatre.

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked within the house; recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast.

Worked om my laptop.

Snoozed around quite a bit.

Lunch, followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

Story time!

A German Shepherd named 

Barnaby was kicked out of

police K9 training for being

too friendly. He wouldn't 

bite. Only cuddled.

Then a storm hit. A 3-year-old

girl went missing in the woods.

Rain erased the tracks. Other

dogs lost the scent.

They tried Barnaby as a last

chance.

He found her under a fallen

log - soaked and shaking.

Instead of barking, he lay beside

her and warmed her up...

licked her face until she

laughed.

That laugh led rescuers to her.

He didn't fail training.

He was built for saving.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, switched on the hymns on the home theatre, lit up the puja room lamp and opened up the house for the day.

Sajish comes and gives me a good haircut and massage.

Morning cuppa.

Walked within the house and recited my prayers.

Worked on my laptop and sent my January mail at a 7' past 1.

Lunch and siesta.

A quiet evening thereafter!

A day of medical probes.

My discomfort had reached my eyes - the right eye, to be precise - with conjunctivitis! Got up at 5, sent all the messages, opened up the house for the day, lit up the puja room lamp and switched on the hymns on the home theatre.

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walk within the house, recited a part of my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast. The maid was on leave today due to the "Chandanakkudam Festival".

A nice lunch of rice and fish curry. Sukesan had bought the fish for us!

Watched the television.

To Rani Menon's eye clinic to show my eye and get treatment.

Siesta.

Off to Jimmy for the review and he has put me on antibiotics for three days!

A quiet evening.

10 places...

.....you should stay silent at all costs :- 

  

  1. Be silent if you don't know the full story.

  2. Be silent if you feel unable to control your emotions.

  3. Be silent on the heat of anger.

  4. Be silent if your words can destroy an amazing friendship or relationship.

  5. Be silent if you are unsure about the topic or lack knowledge.

  6. Be silent when someone is sharing their struggles and vulnerability.

  7. Be silent if you can't talk without yelling.

  8. Be silent if your silence can save your bonds.

  9. Be silent if speaking will only serve to boost your ego or seek validation.

10. Be silent if your words can betray someone's trust.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, opened up the house for the day, lit up the puja room lamp and switched on the hymns on the home theatre.

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked within the house; recited my prayers.

Bath, followed by breakfast.

Worked on the laptop, had snooze.

Lunch of prawn biryani by Lekha; it was lovely.

Saw the afternoon serials; siesta.

The evening chores.

Adani-Embraer to set aircraft-making facility in India.

India and the European Union signed the Free Trade Agreement. 

The Adani group and Brazilian major Embraer announced a strategic tie-up to set up a regional aircraft manufacturing facility in India.

On the road to manufacturing hub

Embraer makes commercial jets with up to 150 seats. Details about the investments and the location of the proposed facility were not disclosed. Civil Aviation Secretary said the collaboration is not just about assembling a regional aircraft but also about technology transfer, skilling, supply chain and making India a manufacturing hub.

India will need 500 aircraft in 20 years

* The Indian market is expected to require at least 500 aircraft in the 80 to 146 range over the next 20           years, Embraer said.

* The venture with the Adani group will be a major fillip for the Brazilian major in India's civil aviation

    space. Adani Defence & Aerospace President & CEO called it a "watershed".

50 aircraft from Embraer's stable in service currently in India.

My take

A great leap for India's aviation industry!

Tailpiece.

A quiet Wednesday.