Diwali 2024.

The day had begun on a fine note. Rema, my sister, had reached us around lunch time from Kochi. Achu, her son and Karthika, his wife reached us around a quarter to 8, from Bangalore.

Our Diwali turned out to be joyous, boisterous and enjoyable. 'Diyas' were lit, fire crackers were burst  and it was an evening filled with fun and frolic.

After dinner it was yakkitiyak which went beyond midnight!

Tailpiece.

An interesting day.

A Malayalam encyclopaedia on AI.

Simply put and releasing this November.

An encyclopaedia dedicated entirely to Artificial Intelligence (AI), that too in Malayalam.

After the success of its AI-themed journal, the team at the State Institute of Encyclopaedic Publications (SIEP) is gearing up to release an encyclopaedia, easy-to-grasp write-ups on 121 topics dealing with various aspects of AI.

The work is nearing completion. In fact, 80% of it is finished, said its editor S Rajesh Kumar and the release of the encyclopaedia, "Nirmithabudhi", is slated this November.

The encyclopaedia will offer its readers insights into the science behind AI as well as its ethical and legal implications. It will explore a range of topics, including the history of AI, responsible AI, privacy, fairness, cognitive computing and more. The team has high hopes that the encyclopaedia will be well received. 

Work on the encyclopaedia was launched in February. The content has been contributed by AI experts, researchers and professionals from around the globe.

The book spanning approximately 230 pages, is being printed in a first batch of 1,000 copies.

Courtesy. Excerpted from Varsha Somaraj @ Thiruvananthapuram in the NIE

Tailpiece.

Got up at my usual time, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

The maid fetched up for work; she has a medical problem.

To the town for :-

   * buying grocery from Harisree supermarket

   * Diwali crackers from the 'pataka' shop

   * Diwali sweets from Ganesh Stores

   * Fish for the cats

Lineesh, of the Titan Time, comes to hand over Lekha's watch that had gone for repairs.

Ran the Chevy for 45' after a long break.

Mr Srivastava confirms our booking in the Engineers' Mess on 05 Nov. And I ask Murali-Radhika to join us that evening. A lot of work to do that day!

Diwali began in right earnest, when sweets were distributed to Lineesh, Aswathy and Nikhil.

A Tata initiative.

The first private plant for the manufacture of Military aircraft, in India.

After an impressive roadshow in Gujarat's Vadodhara, PM Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez jointly inaugurated the Tata Advanced System Limited (TASL)-Airbus plant to manufacture C-295 military aircraft in the city.

It is the country's first assembly line where at least 18,000 components of the aircraft will be manufactured. "Till now we had the vision of Make in India, now proudly we extend it to Make in India, Make for the World", the PM said in his address.

The foundation stone of the project was laid in Oct 2022 and within two years, work on production of a C-295 has started. Another plant to manufacture Bombardier train coaches was commissioned in record time, it was recalled.

PM Sanchez called the Tata group a "giant among giants". "Today, we are not only officially inaugurating a cutting edge industrial facility....this partnership will contribute to the progress of the Indian aerospace industry", he added.

Courtesy. The NIE

Tailpiece.

Got up at my usual time, the chores and was ready by 10.

The maid was off with a medical problem and so, put the clothes through washing machinex. 

A quiet Tuesday.

News!

The inaugural conclave

At the inaugural conclave of Tamil cine star Vijay's 'Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam' political outfit at Vikravandi in Villupuram district yesterday, he said that the BJP was the ideological foe while DMK was the political foe. He also said that the party's ideological leaders are EV Ramasamy, K Kamaraj, BR Ambedkar, Velu Nachiyar and Anjalai Ammal.

KGs to shut shop in China

Hit hard by China's deepening demographic crisis, thousands of famed kindergartens have been closed as enrolment of children dropped sharply across the country due to a significant decline birth rates.

China faces a twin crisis. While on the one hand the birthrates and fertility rates dropped, there is also a sharp rise in the old age population.

Immigration remains hot campaign topic

With just eight days left for Election Day, immigration remained one of the contentious issues in the US Presidential campaign, with many immigrants, including from India and other South Asian nations, fearing a backlash if Republican hopeful Donald Trump wins the polls.

Tailpiece.

Got up at my usual time, the chores and was ready by 10.

Heavy rains during the forenoon.

Could finish some of the backlog of work.

Gender, age and learning.

32.9% of girls participate in unpaid domestic activities, markedly higher than 9.1% of boys, which significantly impacts their education and learning, according to a UNICEF report.

The report "Time spent on unpaid domestic and caregiving services by children in India : Insights into gender, age and learning" is based on India's Time Use Survey 2019 by the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation".

On an average, girls spend 134 minutes per day on unpaid domestic services almost 70% more time than boys, who spend 79 minutes per day.

Time to study

1 in 5 children (20%) are engaged in unpaid domestic services.

Age groups in domestic work

* Adolescents (15-17 age group)             -   124 minutes a day.

* Younger children (6-14 age group)       -   95 minutes per day

Rural vs urban difference in kids doing domestic work

Rural children                21%

Urban children               15.7%

Participation in food preparation

Girls                    21.9%

Boys                     7.3%

Participation in cleaning and maintaining the house

Girls                    18.3%

Boys                      2.6%

Time spent on studies

11% less time spent on studies by children involved in domestic work.

16% less time spent on studies by teens engaged in domestic work.

Tailpiece.

Got up at my usual time, the chores and was ready by 10.

A quiet Sunday.

Spoke to my sisters.

AcREM - Stem to boost stem cell research.

Advanced research in chronic wound healing, hair regeneration and cartilage repair has got a shot in the arm with the establishment of Kerala University's Advanced Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research in Cutaneous Biology (AcREM-Stem). The first such facility of its kind to be set up in state universities, the centre will also have a 3D bio-printing laboratory for organ and tissue engineering.

It is also aimed to create cellular models for therapeutic testing and develop alternative models for toxicity and drug metabolism studies.

Hair and skin regeneration is currently the prime focus of the research carried out at AcREM - Stem.

The ongoing projects of AcREM - Stem include the use of next-generation nanoparticles and herbal-based treatments for degenerative diseases. Commercialising nutraceuticals, cosmetics and stem cell therapies and also conducting early-phase clinical trials.

Tailpiece.

Got up at my usual time, the chores and was ready by 10.

The maid was at work.

Went to the Rajah Hospital for Lekha's review by the orthopedic surgeon.  

RIL, Nvidia partnership for AI infrastructure in India.

Nvidia will supply Blackwell AI processors for one-gigawatt data centre that Reliance is building in Jamnagar, Gujarat.

* RIL will deploy Nvidia's latest GB 200 supercomputer technology to create a massive AI infrastructure

   in India

* Reliance says the company's AI service, Jio for Intelligence, will be very affordable and accessible to the

   general public.

* Reliance expresses hope that India will develop its own AI model, potentially 10 times more advanced

   that Meta's Llama model.

* In addition to collaboration with RIL, Nvidia is partnering with other Indian companies including

   Tech Mahindra, Flipkart to enhance conversational AI in customer service.

* Nvidia will provide services to various healthcare organisations to leverage AI for improved

   productivity and patient care.

My take

AI is poised for a big take off in India. Great!

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 5, the chores and was ready by by a quarter past 10.

Changed bed linen followed by washing machinex.

Carried out my usual work.

Protestors back on streets in Dhaka.

Political tension in Bangladesh was growing after a leading student group called for the resignation of the country's figurehead president. It was over his comments on former PM Sheikh Hasina's resignation.

The student group called the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement set a two-day deadline for President Mohammed Shahabuddin. Hundreds of protestors rallied in the capital, Dhaka, while hundreds of others attempted to storm the presidential palace, Bangabhaban.

The new political turmoil began after Shahabuddin said in an interview with a Bengali Daily that he only heard about Hasina's resignation but had not seen the actual letter - a statement that infuriated the Yunus-led government and student activists.

Courtesy. The NIE

Tailpiece.

Got up at my usual time, the chores and was ready by 10.

The maid was at work.

Electrician Vijeesh was quick to repair a pedestal fan.

The usual evening chores. 

Cuddle cap?

New Zealand airport imposes 3 minute cuddle cap for drop off.

Emotional farewells are a common sight at airports but travelers leaving New Zealand city of Dunedin will have to be quick. A new three-minute time limit on goodbye hugs in the airport's drop off area is intended to prevent lingering cuddles from causing traffic jams. "Max hug time three minutes", warn signs outside the terminal, adding that those seeking "fonder farewells" should head to the airports parking lot instead.

The cuddle cap was imposed in September to "keep things moving smoothly" in the redsigned passenger drop-off area outside the airport.

The airport CEO said, "We were accused of breaching basic human rights and how dare we limit how long someone can have a hug for".

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

Off to town by 10, for the following :-

    * Bank work

    * Harisree supermarket for grocery

    * Fruit vendor for our fruit basket

    * Thampuraanpadi mukku for fish for the cats.  

India, China inching toward a border agreement?

Both the sides arrive at patrolling agreement on LAC - and that too, in Ladakh.

It was in 2020 that 20 Indian personnel died after a brawl with PLA soldiers in the Galwan valley along the LAC.

We need to reach the pre-2020 situation.

This has opened up the possibility of a bilateral meeting between the President of China and the Prime Minister of India on the sidelines of the BRICS summit.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

The maid was at work.

Vijeesh comes and does the pending electrical repairs.

More Indian flights receive hoax bomb threats!

Hoax bomb threats continued to disrupt the Indian aviation sector for the seventh consecutive day, grounding planes and unnerving passengers. 

Since 14 Oct, over 90 Indian flights have been affected by similar bomb scares. 

Though these threats turned out to be fake, the fallout has been colossal :-

    * Delayed flights

    * Disrupted schedules

    * Mounting anxiety among passengers and airlines

My take

A very serious issue especially for the security agencies. The only silver lining in the otherwise dark cloud is that there has been no mishaps! 

God, let them remain hoax calls only!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 4, after which sleep refused to fetch up, wonder why? Went through the chores after 5 and was ready by 10.

A rainy day to begin with.

Met up with the doctor who put me on a course of antibiotics for my sore throat and cough.

Lekha and I are to fly to Hyderabad on 06 Nov to attend our Naval course mates' get together. Hope our schedule doesn't get upset.

 

The Five Spiritual Laws of Attention.

Life may seem chaotic but centuries of spiritual wisdom and neuroscience reveal patterns. These five laws of attention define how focus, purpose and clarity shape our lives.

The universe propels our evolution at a pace in proportion to our passion for uncovering purpose and meaning in our lives. 

On the surface, life appears to be unpredictably random and chaotic. However, thousands of years of recorded collective spiritual wisdom and what neuroscientists are now discovering about the human brain uncover patterns emerging from this randomness and chaos. These patterns are the five laws of attention that flow from and into each other.

(a) The Law of Focus

(b) The law of Earnestness

(c) The Law of Clarity, Conviction, Consistency and Course Corrections

(d) The Law of Veracity and Integrity

(e) The Law of Non-separateness, Not-knowing and Non-doership

Courtesy. Anil Bhatnagar in the Sunday Magazine of the NIE

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 5, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

A sunny day.

My sore throat, though mild, and the cough have been constrained for a change.

Headless HAMAS defiant.

HAMAS confirms Yahya Sinwar's death, says hostages won't be released until there's a ceasefire.

No 2 Al-Hayya in line to take the reins.

With Sinwar gone, the Qatar-based Al-Hayya could head the outfit. 

And Israel has vowed to continue the Gaza offensive.

101 Israeli hostages are still held by HAMAS of whom 30 are feared dead.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 5, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

The maid was at work.

Short of lunch time, the maid saw a snake slither into our work area and hid beneath the fridge.

Autodrivers Sukesan and Rajesh caught the 31/2 ft long kid-cobra, put it into a bucket and handed it over to a forester who stays nearby.

Sec 6A of Citizenship Act.

The Supreme Court has upheld the constitutional validity of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955, which grants Indian citizenship to immigrants from Bangladesh who entered Assam before the cut off date of 25 Mar 1971.

It was a five-judge Constitution bench, led by the CJI that ruled in a 4:1 verdict. The CJI, Justices Surya Kant, MM Sundresh and Manoj Misra upheld the validity while Justice JB Pardiwala dissented and quashed the section prospectively.

The majority verdict held that Section 6A was enacted to balance the humanitarian concerns with the need to protect the local population.

Sec 6A was brought in to deal with those covered under the 1985 Assam Accord signed by the the Rajiv Gandhi government and AASU. The provisions are :-

    * Those who reached Assam after 01 Jan 1966 but before 25 Mar 1971 must register for citizenship.

    * But they can't vote for 10 years. Those who had come after 25 Mar 1971 are bound to be deported.

    * Petitioners argued that Section 6A helped mass immigration. Wanted 1951 as cut-off year to detect

       and deport.

    * SC said the impact of influx of migrants is higher in Assam due to its small size and detection is 

       tough.

My take

It was high time that the action was taken!

Tailpiece. 

Got up at my usual time, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

It was alternating between a sunny weather and rainy weather.

A quiet evening.

What a liar?!

Justin Trudeau, the Canadian PM, has turned out to be a big liar and I'm sure has become a liability and an embarrassment to the Canadians, world over!. 

For over a year, he has been saying that India had violated Canadian sovereignty, alluding to the murder of Khalistani radical Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia last year. He was testifying before a federal commission probing into foreign interference in the country. He named gangster Lawrence Bishnoi jailed in India as one of the conduits for criminal activities in Canada at the alleged behest of the Modi government.

He continued that Indian diplomats were collecting information of Canadians who were opponents of or in disagreement with the Modi government. They passed the information to their government which employed criminals like Lawrence Bishnoi gang to harm Canadians, he alleged.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) wanted to disrupt this chain, which is why they went public on the 13th, he said. "We wanted to question the Indian diplomats but since they didn't agree we asked them to leave the country".

The Canadian PM has now clearly come out with the fact that they didn't have a shred of evidence which he has been harping on over the last year or more! 

What a liar?!

My take

AI flight 182, a Boeing 747 named Kanishka running on the route Montreal - London - Delhi - Bombay had gone up in an explosion to disintegrate over the Atlantic Ocean on 23 Jun 1985. The culprits were Sikh extremists!

As the investigations were in progress, this guy's dad, Pierre Trudeau had lied about important facets that could have helped in the investigations!

All for a few votes from the Sikhs so that he could hold on to his chair! So, telling lies is in the DNA of the family, just to shamelessly cling on to power!

Tailpiece.

Got up at my usual time, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

The maid was at work.

A quiet evening!

Predator drones for India.

India sealed a mega deal with the US to buy 31 high-altitude long-endurance drones from US defence major General Atomics.

The armed drone, known formally as MQ-9B, will help India crank up the surveillance apparatus of its armed forces, especially along the border with China. The drones can carry four Hellfire missiles and 450 kg of bombs and remain airborne for 35 hours.

While the Navy will get 15 of them, the Air Force and the Army will get eight each.

The deal is under a government-to-government framework.

Tailpiece.

Got up as usual, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

Carried out our usual Wednesday morning 'aarathi' of the house.

A quiet though wet day.  

Winning the battle in your mind.

Seven Powerful lessons from "Battlefield of the Mind" by Joyce Meyer

1. Your thoughts shape your reality. 

    Meyer emphasizes the idea that your thoughts have a direct impact on your life. Negative thoughts

    can lead to negative outcomes while positive thoughts can create positive experiences. 

2. The power of positive affirmations.

    Affirmations are positive statements that can help reprogram your mind. By repeating positive

    affirmations, you can replace negative thought patterns with more empowering ones.

3. The importance of guarding your mind.

    Meyer encourages readers to be vigilant in guarding their minds from negative influences. This 

    includes limiting exposure to negative media, people and situations.

4. The power of forgiveness.

    Holding on to grudges and resentment can weigh you down emotionally and mentally. Forgiveness

    is essential for healing and moving forward.

5. The role of self-talk.

    The way you talk to yourself can have a significant impact on your self-esteem and overall

    well being. Positive self-talk can boost your confidence and motivation.

6. The importance of prayer.

    Prayer can be a powerful tool for overcoming negative thoughts and seeking guidance from a

    higher power.

7. The benefits of meditation and mindfulness.

    Meditation and mindfulness can help you become more aware of your thoughts and feelings,

    allowing you to control your mind better.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 5, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

The maid was at work.

Chakki has littered two adorable kittens; their colour matches that of Kittu.

 

Spacex 'catches' rocket booster.

Spacex, yesterday, successfully caught the returning first-stage booster minutes after the launch of its fifth Starship test flight in a historic first!

Catching the booster

The launch tower sported monstrous metal arms that caught the descending booster. It comes after the US regulator granted SpaceX its long-awaited licence to move forward with the fifth test launch of Starship.

How it helps SpaceX

Recycling boosters will help SpaceX speed up the launch rate and save millions in cost.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 5, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

A bright and sunny day but by evening, it was raining.

It was a quiet day.

Why do we seek fame?

We want to be famous as a writer, as a poet, as a painter, as a politician, as a singer or what have you? Why? Because we really don't love what we are doing. If you loved to sing or to paint or to write poems - if you really loved it - you would not be concerned with whether you are famous or not.

To want to be famous is tawdry, trivial, stupid, it has no meaning; but because we don't love what we are doing, we want to enrich ourselves with fame. Our present education is rotten because it teaches us to love success and not what we are doing. The result has become more important than the action.

You know, it is good to hide your brilliance under a bushel, to be anonymous, to love what you are doing and not to show off. It is good to be kind without a name.

That does not make you famous, it does not cause your photograph to appear in the newspapers. Politicians do not come to your door. You are just a creative human being, living anonymously and in that there is richness and great beauty.

Courtesy. Jiddu Krishnamurthy in his Book of Life.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 5, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

A wet day.

The day meandered by as we went about our work.

Dussehra.

KILL TEN (Dasha Hara) is a Sanskrit word which means removal of ten bad qualities within you...

                  1. Kama/Vaasana (Lust)

                  2. Krodha (Anger)

                  3. Moha (Attachment)

                  4. Lobha (Greed)

                  5. Mada (Over-pride)

                  6. Matsara (Jealousy)

                  7. Swartha (Selfishness)

                  8. Anyaaya (Injustice)

                  9. Amanavta (Cruelty)

                10. Ahankaara (Ego)

Hence, it is also known as Vijayadashami which means Vijaya (Victory) over these ten (Dasha) bad qualities.

There's yet another interpretation about it, which is, "Destruction of the Raavana in you"!

In Kerala, tomorrow is Dussehra.

The PN Panicker Foundation is organising a 'Digital Literacy Morning' at Chengalchoola in Thiruvananthapuram where children will impart the basics of digital literacy to the elders. 

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, the chores and was ready by 10.

The maid was at work.

A quiet weekend.

 

Adieu TP Madhavan chetta.

Firstly, my apologies for putting across my thoughts about you, so late.

I am reminded of our last meeting at the Gandhi Bhavan at Pathanapuram. It was about three years back and you were very keen to interact with me after knowing that I was PN Panicker's grandson. Your father, Dr NP Pillai sir was a great friend of my grandfather and together, they'd taken part in many activities, started a host of programs in the Library and Literacy movements.

You were like a kid, when you shared a lot many things about life while you held back your personal pain deep within yourselves. Was deeply impressed with your simplicity!

And no, I don't pardon your children for dumping you to yourself in your old age. They haven't done anything spectacular by being there at your funeral....it was their bloody duty!

Adieu chetta! My tears and prayers. Om Shanti! Sadgati.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 5, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

Took Lekha to the Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr C Sasikumar for the pain that she has on her right knee which has been lingering on for over a week, the medicines prescribed by Dr (Mrs) Sodhi not withstanding.

A quiet Friday, otherwise.

Adieu Ratan Tata!

Ratan Tata, all of 86 years, passed into the mist of time yesterday. A thorough gentleman and a successful business icon, he believed in ethics and principles without caring a damn for profits!

Here's an incident - in his life - that he often recounted.

When Indian billionaire Ratan Tata was asked by the radio presenter in a telephone interview : "Sir, what do you remember when you got the happiest in life?"

Ratan Tata said :

"I have gone through four stages of happiness in life and I finally understood the meaning of true happiness.

The first stage was to accumulate wealth and resources. But at this stage I didn't get the happiness I wanted. But at this stage, I didn't get the happiness I wanted.

Then came the second stage of collecting valuables and items. But I realised that the effect of this thing is also temporary and the lustre of precious things does not last long.

Then came the third phase of getting a big project. That was when I had 95% of the diesel supply in India and Africa. But even here I did not get the happiness that I had imagined.

The fourth step was when a friend of mine asked me to buy wheelchairs for some disabled children....about 200 children. At the behest of that friend, I bought them.

But the friend insisted that I go with him and hand over the wheelchairs to the children. I got ready and went with him.

There I gave these children the wheelchair with my own hands. I saw a strange glow of happiness on the faces of the children.  I saw them all sitting in wheelchairs, moving and having fun.

It was as if they had reached a picnic spot, where they were sharing a winning gift.

I felt real happiness inside me.

When I decided to leave, one of the kids grabbed my leg. I tried to slowly release my leg but the child looked at my face and held my leg tight. I leaned over and asked the child : do you need anything else?

The answer the kid gave me not only shocked me but also completely changed my outlook towards life.

The child said" :

"I want to remember your face so that when I meet you in heaven, I can recognize you and thank you once again". 

My take

Adieu Ratan Tata! Om Shanti!! Sadgati!!!

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 5, the chores and was ready by a half past 8.

Sundaran was my sa'arthi and we were off to the Department of Defence Pensions at Chembukaavu, in Thrissur. Mr Asokan was replaced by Ms Rajalekshmi, who was also very helpful.

Got my User ID and had my password inserted. Got the extracts of the two Corrigendum PPOs.

A quiet day, otherwise.

A worrying trend!

The developments in West Asia are impacting Shia pockets across India as Lucknow, Leh, Ladakh, Hyderabad and Delhi have witnessed unusual online traffic depicting the attacks and abuse against America and Israel. Noting that the current trend was never seen in India, sources said the intelligence report indicated collection of funds in the Shia-inhabited pockets.

In its report to the Multi-Agency Centre under the MHA, the report highlighted that there has been a massive increase in traffic on the internet relating to "attack videos and literature", which portray the strikes on Muslims by Israel as "genocide".

It is posing a major challenge for the Indian security establishment, as multi-faceted radicalisation has been on the rise and is leading to "anti-America" and "anti-Israel" sentiments among the gullible youth.

The need of the hour is to manage the narratives that are flying thick and fast, many of which propagate falsehoods and untruths. 

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 5, the chores and was ready by a half past 9.

The maid was at work.

Washing machinex of bed linen was carried out.  

Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun win Nobel Prize for Medicine.

US scientists discovered microRNA, the tiny pieces of genetic material that alter how genes work at the cellular level.

Though each cell in our body has the same set of instructions, called DNA, some turn into brain cells, while others become muscles. That's because microRNAs regulate genes at cellular level, acting as a switch that turns genes off or on. "Their groundbreaking discovery revealed a new principle of gene regulation essential for multicellular organisms", the jury said.

* Ambros and Ruvkun discovered microRNAs during their study on two mutant strains of worms. The 

   results of the study was published in 1993.

* As microRNAs help us control the behaviour of genes, they could help in treating various diseases. In

   cancer patients, they can be used to cause the mutated gene in the cancer cells to stop its activities.

My take

Victor and Gary, BZ!

Tailpiece.

Got up by a half past 6, washed up and along with Anish, went for the morning cuppa from one of the street vendors and returned with tea for the others.

Chambu joined us for having breakfast and getting two for Maman and Ammayi.

Left the PWD Rest House by a half past 10 and I had hopped on to a private bus to Muvattupuzha. From there, I boarded a superfast to Kozhikode and got dropped at Thrissur. From there, I'd hopped on to another private bus and got dropped at Guruvayur.

BJP retains Haryana while the Congress-NC wins the majority in J&K.  

At Thodupuzha.

Maman and folks had fetched up around a quarter past 11, last evening, in pouring rain after losing their way enroute. By the time we hit the sack, it was well past midnight. 

Dinner was brought in from Hotel Welcome. While it was a non veg fair for the four guests viz. Maman, Ammayi, Chambu and Anish, Lekha and I were on a strict veg diet!

Maman and Ammayi were put up in the master bedroom, Chambu in Amma’s room and Anish, in the sitting room with a bed put up on the floor!

Got up before 5 because of Maman’s early morning call as Ammayi couldn’t get water from the taps! Got that going and went about my chores!

Maman and folks had gone to the Guruvayur temple while I secured things for Lekha. Suma kunjamma, who has been here for the past two days dropped by. Meanwhile, Lekha had got our breakfast from Hotel Welcome. The temple goers had returned by 10, finished their chores and we set off for Thodupuzha by a trifle after 11.

Mini had gone for her medical review with the surgeon, Dr Ram Raj of the Cosmopolitan Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, who has given an all clear signal regarding her health which is great news, indeed. Maman and I spoke with her.

Visited the Blossom QC HQs enroute, 5 km short of Muvattupuzha. Put across our proposal of making brassieres for them under their technical expertise and also help us marketing the same. A detailed briefing was given to them.

Reached Thodupuzha by a half past 4. Bought Maman two pairs of casual footwear, drove around the town to see the evening sights and had a light and early dinner.

Hit the sack comparatively early.

A nightmare for the passengers!

A seven-hour Indigo system outage gave passengers a tough time.

The technical fault lasted for more than seven hours leading to long queues for check-ins, baggage drop points at airports across the country.

The system slowdown was reported around 1115 hrs at Bombay, yesterday!

My take

How glad I am that neither me nor my wife were passengers yesterday!

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 5, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

It was a quiet Sunday.

Maman and gang fetched up late as predicted.

Apple expands its footprint in India.

Apple says it will manufacture entire iPhone 16 line up in India

Weeks after launching its iPhone 16 series, Apple said it will manufacture its entire iPhone 16 line up, including premium devices, in India.

Premium devices to roll out this month

This marks the first instance of Apple producing its premium devices outside China. The company said Indian-made iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max models will be rolled out this month. These will be available for local customers and will also be exported. 

Four more Apple stores coming up

* The iconic phone maker also said that it will open four more stores in India, to be located in Pune,

   Bangalore, Delhi-NCR and Bombay.

* Apple's manufacturing partners in India include Taiwanese giants Foxconn and Pegatron, as well as  

   the Tata-owned Wistron. The Tata group is Apple's only Indian manufacturing partner.

My take

China loses its sheen when compared with India.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 5, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

The maid was at work.

Completed the backlog of work.

Strategy for the Haryana Assembly polls.

Development work have taken place along the Grant Trunk Road stretch that comprises 29 seats in seven districts. Cities like Ambala, Panipat, Kurukshetra and Sonepat are major commercial hubs. 

The BJP and the Congress have concentrated on those 29 seats as part of their election strategies.

The elections are on tomorrow.

Let's wait and watch!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 16' past 5, the chores and was ready by 10.

Lekha's knee is still not okay despite the medicines over the last three days. Will show her to an ortho specialist tomorrow as promised by Dr (Mrs) Sodhi.

Went to the town for the following :-

      * Providing my Life Certificate for 2024 - '25. Subha was a great help.

      * Grocery from Harisree supermarket.

      * Fruit basket from Ravindran's.

      * Drop cheque at the ICICI Bank.

      * Fish for the cats from Thampuranpadi Mukku.

A quiet Friday!

 

The flood relief aid.

The Union government released 5,658.60 crores to 14-flood affected states as central share from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and and advance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). 

The breakdown is as under :-

  (a) Maharashtra                           Rs.1,492 cr

  (b) Andhra Pradesh                      Rs.1,036 cr

  (c) Assam                                    Rs.716 cr

  (d) Bihar                                      Rs.655.60 cr

  (e) Gujarat                                   Rs.600 cr

  (f) West Bengal                            Rs.468 cr

  (g) Telangana                               Rs.416.8 cr

  (h) Kerala                                    Rs.145.6 cr

  (j) Himachal Pradesh                   Rs.189.20 cr

  (k) Manipur                                  Rs.50 cr

  (l) Mizoram                                  Rs.21.6 cr

(m) Sikkim                                     Rs.23.6 cr

 (n) Tripura                                     Rs.25 cr

 (p) Nagaland                                  Rs.19.2 cr

Tailpiece.

Got down at Kunnamkulam at a quarter past 3. Got a nice guy as my auto driver and I reached home by a half past 3. Hit the sack by a 10' past 4.

Was up at 6, to switch on the music.

The maid was at work.

Tomie gets us our grandfather clock.

A great turn out.

Dateline 02 Oct

The third and final phase of Assembly polls in 40 seats of witnessed 68.72% voter turnout, two percentage points more than the recent Lok Sabha elections.

Brisk polling was reported in all separatist bastions in north Kashmir while there was greater enthusiasm in the Jammu region, where the West Pakistani refugees, Valmikis and Gorkhas got to exercise their franchise for the first time in the Assembly polls.

For the first time, the people of Sopore openly came out to vote. "This is the first time we are voting without fear", said retired government teacher Abdul Aziz. The town was in the stranglehold of separatists and militants. 

The PN Panicker Foundation had two significant functions organised on this day. The first was at the 3rd Adivasi collective at Paangaavu in Kuttichal Panchayat which has got all its members practice UPI payments after attaining digital literacy. The Foundation, the RBI and the NABARD had made it possible and its declaration was made in the presence of George Kurien, the MoS in the Modi cabinet. Kerala's minister, O Kelu and the local MLA did not fetch up owing to political reasons!

The second was our yatra from the Museum Junction to the VJT Hall saying "No to drugs". Bishop Robinson of the Lutheran Church and other cultural leaders participated in the yatra which was spoilt by rain to a little extent. 80 college going youth - also part of the National Service Scheme (NSS) - formed the backbone of the yatra.

Returned to the Foundation, changed and caught the the Swift bus to Guruvayur that left Thiruvananthapuram at a quarter past 7. Dinner of chappathis and vegetable korma had somewhere at Ettumanoor. 

Neelamperoor Devi kshetram’s Pooram padayani.

Got up at 3, the chores and was ready by a half past 5. Prabin dropped me close to the 3A/C coach of the Guruvayur-Madurai Fast Passenger. Reached Changanasserry by a 10’ to 9. The journey was uneventful, nice.

Reached Changanasserry by 10' to 9. Maman and folks with the car came by, soon after and without much ado, we set off for Puthuvayil House. The Pooram padayani celebrations of the Neelamperoor Devi kshetram were on in full swing. Following, from the family, were attending :-

Indira kunjamma, Maman, Ammayi, Suma kunjamma, Chambu, Padmakumar, Rema, Mini and Santhi.

Had a good 'darshan' of the Devi during the 'ucha puja'.

Lunch at Unni's place.

And then, to the Panchayat office and the Village Officer's office said our piece about the transfer of ownership of the Puthuvayil House to the Foundation.

We began our journey to Thiruvananthapuram at 3. Had a darshan of the Kottarakkara Maha Ganapati kshetram and as we were returning, we met Lekha's Ananthan chittappan, Letha, Archa and Devootti.

Dinner at Hotel Al Saj.

A quiet evening at Maman's place.