At Raj Nivas.

Our day started at 4, Lekha had tea ready and I'd got up after half an hour. The chores and we were ready by a quarter past 6. Kicked off from The Quarterdeck at a half past 6. 

The journey was smooth till Kalady when there was a massive traffic snarl which delayed us by a three quarters of an hour. Finally, reached Ananda Bhavan and as usual, Lekha and I'd shared a combo for breakfast.. Thereafter, the drive was quite easy and we'd lunch at the Padma Cafe, Changanasserry.

Reached Kottarakkara by a half past 3, asked Monish to recharge our Airtel Television. But alas, it didn't get started because the thick foliage of trees covered the satellite and therefore, the signals were not being received.

It was a sad blow to our plan of viewing the television!

Anyways, have formulated an alternate plan for tomorrow.

Went to Dr Hareendrababu to have a review of Lekha's cough. Returned after an hour and wasn't he thrilled meeting us?

A quiet evening!

Afghanistan gives it to Pakistan.

Afghani forces hit several sites inside Pakistan in retaliation for airstrikes earlier this week.

19 Pakistani soldiers killed

Taliban said its forces targeted Pakistani points that served as centres and hideouts for malicious elements and their supporters who organised and and co-ordinated attacks in Afghanistan. 

Afghans in Khost city stage protest 

* Earlier this week, Pakistan's attack on Afghanistan had killed 46 people in airstrikes near the border in        .

   Paktika. Pakistan accused the Taliban of not doing enough to combat cross-border militant activity.

* In Khost city, humdreds of Afghan citizens on Saturday protested the Pakistani attack, calling for  

   accountability for civilian deaths.

383 Pakistani soldiers killed in various clashes in 2024.

Tailpiece.

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

Soon after breakfast, topped up Crazy with fuel and checked tyre pressure.

The maid was at work.

Shut down The Quarterdeck in the evening.

Lekha had helped me in washing down the Chevy in the evening.

Adieu Dr Manmohan Singh ji.

Former PM Dr Manmohan Singh passed into the mist of time last night, at the AIIMS, New Delhi.

Whatever said and done, as Prime Minister, he was witness to all the wrong things done by his party - the Congress Party. So, helplessly watching all those things happen, he's very much a party to it.

Being a Sikh and a clean man, why didn't he react even once and put his foot down? Or did he have any skeleton in his cupboard too?

No doubt that he was a great Finance Minister who opened up the country's economy - under the stewardship of Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao - bringing about far reaching changes and the nuclear deal he'd pushed through with the then US President George W Bush.

Shall always remember 04 Jan 2014, when he inaugurated PN Panicker Foundation's Total e-literacy program at the Kanakakkunnu Palace, Thiruvananthapuram along with Governor Nikhil Kumar, CM Oommen Chandy and other distinguished guests.

Adieu! Om Shanti! Sadgati.

Tailpiece.

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

Went to the DDRC Lab, Chavakad to get Lekha's biopsy done but to no avail. Immediately rang up Dr (Mrs) Sodhi. She made me meet the dentist, Sreerag, within our surroundings who referred her to the ENT Specialist Varun at Kent Clinic who ruled out the requirement of a biopsy. Phew!   

A quiet evening thereafter.

Adieu MT Vasudevan Nair sir.

A giant in the world of Malayalam be it on the socio-cultural milieu, literature or movies!

I liked his uncanny ability to view things from the other end, a classic case being "Randaam Oozham" where the story of the Mahabharata is seen from Bhima's point of view. He'd shown this ability earlier on "Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha', the story from 'chathiyan' Chandu's point of view.

MT was an ardent fan of PN Panicker and was in sync with us regarding the Foundation's activities.

Have had the opportunity and privilege to interact with him - one to one - at Thunchan Parambu.  

Om Shanti! Sadgati.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 4, the chores and was ready by a half past 6.

Boarded the Madurai Express and reached Kottayam by a quarter to 10.

Had addressed the meeting at the Kottayam Public Library and told them about the year long festival of the 80th anniversary of the Kerala Library Movement and the 30th anniversary of the Reading Day, next year.

Returned by a quarter to 8.

The real meaning of Trump's rhetoric on Panama.

On a $5 billion revenue, the profit is $3.45 billion. That is a whopping 69% margin. No wonder, the Don wants US to buy out or take over. While strategic in nature, the revenue/profit cannot be overlooked. Panama Canal will not be a cake walk. Dirty wars again???

A land rich in Uranium, Aluminium, Nickel (Cobalt cannot be far away), Platinum, Tungsten, Copper, Gold, Titanium and of course Oil.

So, what irked the Don? 

China has moved in. 

Reason enough for Don wanting to buy it for MAGA. Wonder if the Danes have done any prospecting and research to estimate the value of 2 million square kilometres rich in mineral wealth.....or happy eating pastry.

Whichever it may be, Greenland is hot property. Golf on snow?

Tailpiece.

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

A quiet Thursday.

Finished a lot of backlog of work.

From an electric car owner.

"We undertook a bold journey to Hyderabad in an all electric car attempting to be at the mercy of the roadside EV Charging Stations. We left Bangalore at 2:30 pm and reached Hyderabad at 5:30 am the next day....! Sharing our experience.

1. If you drive fast, above 100 kmph, the battery drains fast.

2. Bangalore - Hyderabad highway has numerous Charging Stations compared to many other highways        

    emerging from Bangalore.

3. The wayside Charging Stations are of 30 kilowatts, a few are of 60 kilowatts. Therefore, the charging time 

    takes longer.

4. There are numerous Charging Stations but have no back up power supply. As a result these are better to be

    skipped.

5. Each Charging Station has its own App which has to be downloaded for connection and payment. They 

    being in remote locations, connectivity is poor to download. Our phones are now full of "Charging Apps".

6. On long distance drives, for those seated in the rear seat, Motion Sickness is more as the noiselessness, the

    visual and audio inputs don't match the movement of the vehicle.

7. When a total discharge takes place, only god can help. You just have to get out of the car. The steering

    wheel gets locked, electronics of the car shuts down completely. The vehicle needs to be taken on a flat

    bed.

8. Now, we are thinking of acquiring (at least a second hand) fuel car

9. The best electric car has poor resale value.

Electric Vehicles are way too forward to the future: the Supply Chain infrastructure needs to improve a lot. As of now, an electric vehicle is definitely not recommended if you are a senior citizen and/or travelling with family and children.

Courtesy. What'sApp

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, the chores, the usual Wednesday morning 'aarathi' of the house and was ready by 10.

The maid was at work.

A quiet evening!

Adieu Shyam Benegal!

Days after celebrating his 90the birthday, Shyam Benegal passed into the mist of time last evening.Benegal, whose body of work straddled the worlds of mainstream and alternative cinema with remarkable dexterity, leaves behind a legacy of nuanced story telling and sharp social critical.

Benegal's groundbreaking debut feature, Ankur (The Seedling of 1973) marked the arrival of a film maker unafraid to tackle caste discrimination and other entrenched societal issues.

His television series Bharat Ek Khoj (1988), based on Nehru's The Discovery of India, remains a landmark in Indian historical story telling.

Adieu Shyam Benegal. Om Shanti! Sadgati!

Courtesy. Excerpted from Kartik Bhardwaj's article in the NIE

Tailpiece.

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

The bedlinen were changed and the soiled ones were washed in the washing machine. The maid was at work.

To cardiologist George Mathew Neerakkal, who has said that my heart is pumping at a lower capacity! have given medicines and asked for an angiogram to be done. 

ISRO's future plans.

Crops will be grown in space on PSLV - C60) Spadex Mission. 24 experiments include 10 from private sector.

Of the 24 payloads, 14 will be from various ISRP labs and the 10 from private universities and start-ups. In one of the experiments, ISRO will grow eight cowpea seeds from seed germination and plant sustenance until the two-leaf stage in a closed-box environment with thermal controls. Amity University, Bombay, plans to study the growth of spinach in space.

PSLV-C60 Spadex. The fourth poem mission, is expected to be launched later this month.

The PSLV Orbital Experiment Module (POEM-4) will carry 24 experimental payloads to demonstrate various technologies in space.

My take

Wow!

Tailpiece.

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

Took the same autorickshaw that brought in our fruit basket to the nearby fish market to buy fish for the cats.

The evening chores.

Lanka out of sovereign default rating!

After Fitch's upgrade.

Sri Lanka officially ended its debt default, paving the way for easier borrowing.

The nation's Finance Ministry, said that 20 Dec marked a major milestone in the country's economic recovery  process as Sri Lanka officially exited sovereign default. Fitch upgraded Sri Lanka's long-term foreign-currency default rating to CCC+ from restricted default after creditors approved the nation's $12.55 billion debt.

Medium term interest for the government to be high

Despite the debt restructuring the "general government debt/GDP and the interest/revenue ratio are likely to stay high in the medium term", Fitch Ratings said.

In 2022, Sri Lanka plunged into an economic crisis, defaulted on its foreign debt due to its high debt burden amid the Covid pandemic.

India has been a good neighbour, in that, it had helped Bangladesh whenever she had a problem!

Tailpiece.

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

The maid was at work.

It was a quiet Sunday. 

Back at Guruvayur!

Dateline 22 Dec

We’d got up leisurely by 7, the good doctor giving us our early morning cup of tea! We left for the clinic at 9 and had our breakfast at Mallan’s Kitchen.

The doctor reviewed Lekha’s dentures and had cleaned them up.

We, then, called on the doctor’s mother and really enjoyed being with her albeit for a short while. An active individual who’s smiling always! She, then, granted us the privilege of seeing us to the door!!

I’ve since become her fan!

Had lunch at Kalamasserry and continued to Guruvayur, where we reached at 5.

It was unpacking, opening up of the house consequently!

A comparatively early evening.

Our medical review!

Dateline 21 Dec

It was again an early morning get away at a half past 6, towards Kochi for our quarterly medical review. Kannan drove my car and he was to leave us on arrival there.

Lekha was dropped at Shenoy Care and me, at Satish Bhat’s clinic. 

Our reviews went off fine, there weren’t any adverse observations/warnings. In fact, both of them seemed happy to meet us and we parted wishing ‘merry Christmas, seasons greetings and a happy new year’.

Had lunch at Shenoy Care canteen.

Went across to the Indian Navy’s canteen office near the headquarters to renew our smart cards. The young lady, Swathi at the counter, was of a great help as she filled up a fresh application form, refixed  the photographs and issued a set of temporary cards to facilitate transactions till the new cards were received a couple of months later!

We, then, headed for Dr Mallan’s clinic at Muhamma.

The Aroor stretch, where road work was going on, was bad but despite all that, we reached the doctor’s farmhouse a trifle after sunset.

It was an exquisite evening and the Mallans  were the perfect hosts. Lekha and I really enjoyed every minute of our sya there!

Limbering up!

Dateline 20 Dec

Had an early morning get away to be at my junior, Paulson Jose’s house to offer condolences on the passing away of his father - Josettan 75 -  last night following a cardiac arrest!

Met his mom and the entire lot of his family.

Participated in the padre’s services at the courtyard and as the body was being taken off to the family’s church at Mannoothy, I’d peeled off on my return journey.

The Quarterdeck was shut down systematically for our trip to Kochi tomorrow on account of our quarterly medical review.

Trump 2.0

The shape of things to come?!

Donald Trump threatens to impose reciprocal tax on India

The US President-elect said India charges 'a lot' adding that he would retaliate with the same tax that New Delhi imposes on import of US products.

Reciprocity to be key for next US Government

"Reciprocal, if they tax us, we tax them the same amount. They tax us, we tax them. They're taxing us and we haven't been taxing them", Trump told reporters. "Perhaps the most important element of my plan to make America extraordinarily wealthy again is reciprocity. It's a word that's very important in my plan because we generally don't charge tariffs", he said.

Sends mixed signals to China

* Trump's tariff threat against India comes a day after his sweeping offer to work with China, "to solve all

   problems of the world.

* After winning the presidential election in November, Trump had called for trade sanctions against China,

   Mexico and Canada. Now he has added India to the list. Trump had targeted India in his first term as well.

$ 77.51 billion 

India's exports to US in FY 24, while imports aggregated at $ 42.2 billion

Tailpiece.

Got up at a half past 4, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 8. Vincent arrived on time and I set off for attending Paulson's dad's - Josettan - pre-funeral mass at his place.

Offered my condolences.

Returned and drove Crazy to the petrol bunk to top up with fuel and check tyre pressure.

Sukesan fixed up the Christmas star at the corner of our balcony.

Kochi is the hotspot for Ganja.

Ganja flow to Ernakulam rises as harvest season begins in Orissa.

* In Kochi city alone, seven major ganja seizures have been reported since 01 Nov, with the police recovering         70.1 kg of the narcotic substance.

* Under the jurisdiction of the Ernakulam Rural police, as many as 10 major ganja seizures were reported

   during the same period and 67 kg of ganja recovered.

* The excise has recovered around 52 kg of ganja since 01 Nov, having started anti-narcotics drives ahead

   of the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

Tailpiece.

 

Got up at a half past 4, the chores and was ready by a 5' past 6. Sukesan had reached our gate by a quarter past 6 and he dropped me at the Perunthatta Siva kshetram.

Ramakrishnan, the karmi, conducted the 'bali tharpanam' efficiently as usual.

Both Lekha and I went to Dr (Mrs) Sodhi for our cough and cold review and were put on another round of medicines.

A quiet Wednesday. Had carried out the usual Wednesday morning aarathi of the house.

Lekha had gone to town for :-

    * collecting ration from the stand.

    * buying grocery from the Harisree supermarket.

    * buying our fruit basket.

    * the bank for pulling out money.

Surat may be stitch in time.

Bangladesh hangs by a thread!

Surat is single-handedly dismantling Bangladesh's garment industry.

84% of Bangladesh's exports

4 million employed, including 65% women

11%  of their GDP

Top clothing brands are ditching Bangladesh as Islamists rise and minorities face massacre. With democracy replaced by mobocracy, Surat emerges as the safer choice for global giants.

Tailpiece.

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

A quiet Tuesday.

Jimmy comes by around a quarter past 12 and takes our photographs for the canteen smart cards.

In Syria today......

The fight is now between rebel factions supported by the US (SDF) and its NATO ally, Turkey (SNA).

SDF consists mainly of Kurds - the Shias - whom Turkey considers terrorists, all out to carve out Kurdistan from the territories belonging to Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. SNA (the Syrian National Army), on the other hand, is being funded and trained by Turkey.

The US feels only the SDF can give a stable government that would accommodate different warring factions.

Iran and Russia, though 'beaten' temporarily, will want their pound of flesh too.

....Dangerous times!

Tailpiece.

Got up a trifle late, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

The maid was at work today.

A quiet Monday!

The President of South Korea impeached.

The first impeachment in South Korea in 40 years!

South Korea's parliament, yesterday, impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his martial law decree. The parliament passed the motion 204-85. 

Hundreds of thousands of people gathered near the parliament roared in jubilation. Yoon's presidential powers and duties were subsequently suspended and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo took over presidential powers.

Tailpiece.

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

A quiet Sunday.

Yedukumar and Raji had dropped by after attending a wedding here.

Celebrations in Syria.

Thousands of Syrians gathered yesterday in Damascus' main mosque for the first Muslim Friday prayers since the downfall of former President Bashar Assad, while crowds celebrated.

The gatherings were a symbolic moment for the change of power in Syria, a week after insurgents swept into Damascus, ousting the Assad-led state that had ruled the country for a half century.

Tailpiece.

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

The maid was at work.

A quiet weekend.

Karthik Poornima.

Got up at 5, the chores and was ready by a half past 7. Chambu dropped me at the nearby bus stop from where I gat the second bus to Thampanoor. Got a blueline a/c deluxe superfast bus to Thrissur and I was hurtling northward by a trifle past 8.

Had three wash room breaks. Kottarakkara was a washout - for both, me and the driver. So, he'd escorted me at Thiruvalla. The second was after lunch at the hotel a trifle ahead of the Kottayam bus stand. The third was on landing, at Thrissur.

Befriended a fellow traveller, Mr Thomas, a Higher secondary School teacher from the Government HSS, Koothattukulam. He was aware of my grandfather and has promised to keep in touch. He's polio-stricken from the age of 2. Nice fella!

Reached Thrissur by a half past 5; boarded an RTC bus to Guruvayur but it took a circuitous route via Vadanappalli, Chettuva road and Chavakkad before reaching Guruvayur!

I reached home just in time to see Lekha light up the last set of the 'Karthika deepams'!

The rest of the evening went off fine with us watching our favourite television serials.

Back again at Tvpm.

Got up at a half past 4, the chores and was ready well in time. Sukesan came with his vehicle by a quarter past 6 and I was at the railway station before a half past 6. The crowd was less comparatively and I could collect the ticket to Thrissur without much wait.

Had my breakfast of idlis, which Lekha had packed for me, at the a/c waiting room. The Jan Shatabdi was on time and I was hurtling toward Tvpm by a half past 8. The journey was boring!

Reached Tvpm by a quarter to 2; Anish was there with the car. I ducked the drizzle and ran into the car! Had the lunch packed by Lekha at the Foundation while Maman and Chambu had gone home. Met Madhavettan - Maman’s classmate and friend - after a long time!

The evening’s meeting went off fine with Maman spelling out the outline plan of action next year, being the 80th anniversary of the Kerala Library Movement and also the 30th anniversary of the Reading Day/Reading Week/Reading Month activities!

We hope to get a rough blueprint of our activities from the feedback of our volunteers, co-ordinators, friends.

A Malayalam film shot entirely on iPhone!

And it is set to dazzle audiences at this year's International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK). Adhithya Baby, 22, is its director.

What sets the film apart is the fact that the entire film - all of one hour and 25 minutes - was shot on a mobile phone over a span of 28 days. The phone is an iPhone 14 Pro. It not only significantly reduced production costs but also streamlined the film making efficient and convenient, says the young director.

The trend of using mobile phones have empowered aspiring filmmakers to bring their creative visions to life without the constraints of traditional, high budget production methods. The movie is, "Kamadevan Nakshatram Kandu' ( Cupid Saw the Star).

The film is presented under the "Good Films That Make Your Life Better" productions.. This is the company's second film to be screened at the IFFK - "Blue Hair", screened last year being the first.

Adhithya is currently pursuing PG in performing arts in Pondicherry.

Courtesy. 

Adapted from Jithul Narayanan's article in the NIE

Tailpiece.

Got up at my usual time, the chores.

Went for our review with Dr (Mrs) Sodhi a day earlier as I'm making a beeline for Tvpm tomorrow.

Lekha's sister, Preetha and her friend, Rohini had dropped by for tea. They're here to be part of the Ekadashi. 

Rajasthan : the investors’ new paradise?

The PM, at the inauguration of the ‘Rising Rajasthan Global Investment Summit’ at Jaipur, said that the state has a magnetic potential to attract investments. He also added that the state has a unique ability to adapt and grow, even in challenging conditions.

Vital stats from the summit

* Rajasthan's new growth rate            12.7% (7th in the country)

* The state government plans to

   make Rajasthan economy worth      300 Billion

* Highest investment MOUs

   signed in the energy sector               20.82 lakh crores

Sector-wise investment highlights

   * Industry         3.94 lakh crore

   * Mining           1.83 lakh crore

Urban development, tourism, agriculture, IT and more : significant contributions

Driving development across sectors, fuelling Rajasthan's progress.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 3 and recited my prayers, partially. Turned back to sleep again.

Was later than usual to get up.

Left Tvpm by 11 on a Kozhikode-bound low floor a/c bus. Heavy traffic at Changanacherry, Kaladi and Thrissur.

Reached The Quarterdeck at a quarter past 9, instead of the schedued 7!

At Thiruvananthapuram.

Got up at a half past 4, the chores and Lekha was up at 5 to prepare breakfast and lunch for us. Anto was at the gate with his vehicle at a quarter past 6. Left for the railway station soon after.

The station was completely in a disarray as the renovation work was on in full swing. Consequently, the makeshift ticket counters were on the platform itself! The girl at the counter gave me a dazzling smile and wished me.

Helped an old lady, Omana, with her luggage and deposited her on platform no.2 at Thrissur on reaching there. Earlier, had found enough sitting space for a young lady who was standing beside the door. And I chanted the Vishnusahasranama sthothram during our journey to Thrissur. 

Had breakfast at the a/c waiting hall, on platform 1 of the Thrissur railway station and washed it down with a cup of tea. 

The Jan Shatabdi came in a trifle late and thankfully, the chair car was spanking new! Befriended, Vinoy, a young businessman and the journey was quite interesting! Reached Thiruvananthapuram by a quarter to 2, Bijumon sir, our chief co-ordinator and Rajan picked me up and we headed for the Foundation, where I’d Lekha’s packed lunch. 

Maman was discharged from KIMS after a gap of 15 days, this afternoon. He is awfully weak. He made a few important letters that needed early action.

We were at Maman’s place by 7 and rounded off earlier than normal.

The meeting for tomorrow has been postponed for the 12th. I shall return to Guruvayur tomorrow and come back the day after tomorrow.

Notre Dame re-opens.

France, on Saturday, threw open the doors of the capital's Notre Dame cathedral five years after inferno. held up as an example of French creativity and resilience by President Macron, Notre dame's renaissance so soon afte a 2019 blaze that destroyed its roof and spire comes at a difficult time for the country.

The reopening took place officially at 1800 GMT yesterday, when the archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich opened the doors, after knocking three times and heralded the start of the two-hour ceremony.

Harsh weather forced officials to move Macron's planned speech indoors and pre-record a concert planned for after the ceremony, as winds gusted up to 80 kilometres per hour.

The service featured prayer, organ music and hymns from the cathedral's choir, followed by the televised concert.

Tailpiece.

Got up at my usual time, the chores and was ready by 10. Sukesan dropped us at the Rajah Hospital a trifle past 10.

For the next five hours, we'd gone through a battery of tests dictated by the cardiologist.

A quiet evening thereafter. Limbering up for my quick dash to Thiruvananthapuram for the Foundation's Core Committee meeting on Tuesday.

 

The 'rock-bolt' technology.

The Border Roads Organisation, in a bid to tackle landslides that pose challenges during the tourism and pilgrimage season in Uttarakhand, has turned to rock-bolt technology which has proven beneficial in treating landslide zones in the mountainous regions.

This innovative technology is being employed at active landslide zones in Raturisera and Bandarkot along the Gangotri Highway. Previously, the same technology was utilised to address hazards in Nalupani and Chungi Badethi landslide zones.

What is Rock-bolt technology?

Fractured rocks are effectively 'stitched' through a specialised drilling process. After employing perpendicular drilling at specific fracture points, the fractures are secured with bolts. Then a mixture of cement and water, under pressure, is injected through a designated hole to fill the cracks, significantly enhancing the stability of the rock formations.

The following aspects are relevant :-

   * Experts say that rock-bolt technology is up to 90% effective in preventing landslides.

   * Technique currently employed at active landslide zones in Ratuseria (outlay 19.8 cr) and Bandarkot

      (outlay 9.3 cr) along Gangotri Highway.

   

Tailpiece.

Got up at my usual time, the chores and we were at Dr(Mrs) Sodhi's clinic by a half past 9 for our review. Have been given another 5-day round of medicines.

A quiet Saturday; the maid had taken a day off.

Have fixed a date with the cardiologist at the Rajah Hospital tomorrow at a half past 10.

  

A rapidly growing new glacier.

A group of scientists have discovered a new glacier in Uttarakhand that is rapidly growing in size.

It is located in the Niti Valley, a remote area in the northeastern most region of the state, close to the India-Tibet border. Stretching 10 km in length, the unnamed glacier, which lies adjacent to the Randolph and Rekana glaciers, spans approximately 48 square kilometres.

It was identified by glaciologists Manish Mehta, Vineet Kumar, Ajay Rana and Gautam Rawat of Wadia Institute of Geology. Their study titled Manifestations of a Glacier Surge in Central Himalaya Using Multi-Temporal satellite Data. The findings indicate that the glacier is currently "surging".

Satellite data suggests three primary reasons for this phenomenon :-

      * Hydrological imbalance

      * Thermal contrast and

      * Sedimentary terrain.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, the chores.

Sajish had come by at a half past 7 to give me a haircut and massage.

Was ready by 10. 

The Silver Line Project is a non-starter!

Railways' new suggestions a major setback for state.

And what are the new suggestions?

 * New track should be broad gauge system

 * It should be integrated with the existing Indian Railway network

 * Environmental concerns should be addressed

 * Comprehensive drainage system required

 * Provision of KAVACH should be ensured

 * Project should be brought under the national master plan

 * Bridges and RoBs should be constructed as per Indian Railway Rules

My take

There goes the Silver Line project tom tommed by the state government!

Tailpiece.

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

The maid was at work.

A quiet Thursday.

Ropeway @ Pampa-Sannidhaanam in Sabarimala!

The ropeway service from Pampa to Sannidhaanam aimed at facilitating the transport of devotees and goods will be established before the 2026 pilgrimage season.

It will be set up under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) contract at an appropriate cost of Rs.150 cr. 

The construction will begin by the end of Jan '25/early Feb '25

It was 17 years ago that the state government mooted a ropeway between the mainland and Sabarimala.

The 2.7 km-long ropeway will start from Pampa hilltop and end near Malikappuram police barracks and each cabin would be able to carry 500 kg.

At present, the devotees begin their pilgrimage walk from Pampa to Sannidhaanam via Neelimala, Appaachimedu, Sabari Peedham and Marakkoottam.

Tailpiece.

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

A quiet Wednesday. Earlier, carried out our usual Wednesday aarathi of the house.

Today was Navy Day! 

'Chalo India' to boost tourism!

Indians living abroad may get a rousing welcome at airports during their trip back to the country or priority in immigration clearance as reward under the 'Chalo India' program. This is to encourage members of the Indian diaspora to convince their foreign friends and associates to make a visit to India.

In return, the visitors will be entitled for a free visa.

Chalo India campaign was launched by PM Narendra Modi. There is no upper limit on the number of foreign friends a diaspora member can encourage, although, the Indian diaspora is persuaded to invite at least five non-Indian friends to explore the grandeur of Incredible India.

FTAs contributed Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) of Rs.2.31 cr (Provisional estimates), a growth of around 65% in the same period in 2023 compared to 6.44 million in 2022.

9.24 million foreign tourist arrivals(FTAs), a growth of 43.5%.

To increase the number of FTAs, various steps have been taken, such as promoting adventure and niche tourism, making easy the availability of e-visas and launching a 24x7 multilingual helpline for tourists.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10. Breakfast consisted of dosas and chutney. The maid was at work.

Lekha had gone to the town to do certain pending work.

A quiet but wet day.

Earlier, spoke with Indirakkutty and Maman. 

GST Mop-up up by 8.5%.

GST mop-up increases by 8.5 % to Rs.1.82 lakh crore in November on higher revenues from domestic transactions. 

Over 11% increase in net collection

The Central GST collection stood at Rs.34,141 crore, State GST at Rs.43,047 crore, integrated GST at Rs.91,828 crore and Cess at Rs.13,253 crore.

Refunds worth Rs.19,259 crore  were issued during the month, registering a 8.9% decline over the same period last year. After adjusting for refunds, net GST collection shot up by more that 11% to Rs.1.63 lakh crore.

Tax from domestic transactions up 9.4%

* GST from domestic transactions grew 9.4% to Rs.1.40 lakh crore in November while revenues from tax

   on imports rose 6% to Rs.42,591 crore.

* The month's GST mop-up is 8.5% higher than the Rs.1.68 lakh crore collected during the same month last

   year. On a sequential basis, it is 2.6% lower than the Rs.1.87 lakh crore collected in October.

2.11 lakh crore GST collection recorded in Apr '24 has been the highest ever!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10. Suma kunjamma had come by a quarter to 8.

Off to Dr(Mrs) Sodhi for checking up health and medicines. 

A thoroughly wet day.

Dropped Suma kunjamma at the railway station and it was pouring!

Railway track electrification gathers pace.

@ 20 km/day, the Indian Railways has electrified 97% of broad gauge tracks to meet the target of net zero carbon emissions by 2030.

On Target

* Railway electrification is the use of electric power for the propulsion of rail transport

* Rs.8,070 cr allocated for railway line electrification in FY 24 Budget

* Aim : Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2030

* Around 97% of broad gauge rail has been electrified

* More than 20 km of railway track is being electrified everyday in 2023-'24 against 1.42 km a day during 

   2000-2014

* Electrification of rail line is environment-friendly and 70% more economical than diesel tractions

* Railways in 14 states have achieved full electrification and it is nearing completion in 8-9 states.

   - UP                      8,546 km

   - Maharashtra        5,815 km

   - MP                      4,944 km

   - AP                       3,841 km

   - Bihar                    3,802 km

   - Orissa                  2,901 km

   - Punjab                  2,288 km

   - Telangana             1,923 km

   - Haryana               1,780 km

   - Chhattisgarh         1,279 km

   - Kerala                  1,046 km

   - J&K                        396 km

   - Uttarakhand             347 km and

   - HP                            67 km

Tailpiece.

Disembarked from the Bharat Gaurav train at Thrissur, at a 5' past 4. Sajish, the cab driver, helped us with our luggage. Had a cup of tea from a roadside vendor and I pulled out money from the ATM.

The maid had come by. Washing machinex twice to clear the bulk of the washing from the maid.

Today was my birthday vide the Malayalam calendar. Sadya, payasam were made and a cake was cut.

   -