London marathon gets into history books.

Kenya's Sawe, the current World No.1, created history by becoming the first human to dip under the two hour mark in the marathon.

Importance of breaking the two-hour barrier

For a long time, humans thought this record would be impossible to achieve. Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge, in association with Nike, in fact dipped below the two hour mark at Vienna in 2019. However, he did it in a controlled environment so it wasn't valid for the purposes of a world record. Now, Sawe has done it. Yomif Kejelcha, who came second, also went under the two-hour mark (1:59:41).

Why it was only a matter of time

* Shoe technology has improved massively. The importance of science and holistic training approaches 

   is evident. Also, the marathon, at the elite level, has seen official times be repeatedly slashed. 

* The sixteen fastest timings in history have all come since 2019. In fact, this is one record which has 

   kept breaking.

1:59:30  Sawe's timings at London marathon on Sunday.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent 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 on the courtyard, recited my prayers and carried out my exercise regimen.

Bath followed by breakfast of poorie bhaaji.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, watched "Snehakkoottu" followed by siesta.

Booked an appointment with the doctor for tomorrow.

Sincerely hope that things would be sorted out by tomorrow.

An interesting story revisited.

Govardhan Hill, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh

In the Braj region of UP's Mathura district near Vrindavan, rises Govardhan Hill, a low sandstone ridge extending roughly 21 km. Though modest in height, it is among the much revered landscapes in the Krishna tradition. According to the Bhaagavata Puraana, Krishna persuaded the villagers to worship the hill instead of Indra, the rain god. In response, Indra unleashed torrential rains and Krishna lifted the hill to shelter the community. The episode establishes the idea that nature itself is worthy of reverence.

This idea continues in the practice of Govardhan Parikrama, a 21-km circumambulation undertaken by thousands daily - I, too, have undertaken this parikrama during my last visit, during Oct '25, though I must confess that it was in a vehicle. Many walk barefoot, some perform Dandavat Parikrama, progressing through full prostrations. The route passes sacred sites such as Radha Kund, Shyam Kund, Kusum Sarovar and Mansi Ganga, each linked to episodes from Krishna's life. The hill is also central to the Braj Chaurasi Kos Yatra, a wider pilgrimage circuit.

Pilgrimage peaks during Govardhan Puja, where offerings of food symbolise gratitude to the sustaining land. Here, there is no single shrine; the landscape itself is the deity.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent 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 on the courtyard, recited my prayers and carried out my exercise regimen.

Bath followed by breakfast of appams and kadala.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, watched an episode of Crime Patrol followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

Die empty.

The most beautiful book to read is Die Empty by Todd Henry. The author was inspired and got this idea of writing this book while attending a business meeting. When the Director asked the audience : Where is the richest land in the world?

One of the audience answered : The oil-rich gulf states. Another added : The diamond mines in Africa.

Then the Director said : "No. it is the cemetery.

Yes, Cemetery is the richest land in the world because millions of people have departed/died and they carried away many valuable ideas that did not come to light nor benefit others. It is all in the cemetery where they are buried".

Inspired by this answer, Todd Henry wrote his book, "Die Empty" where he did his best to motivate people to pour out their ideas and potential energies in their communities and turn them into something useful before it is too late.

The most beautiful of what he said in his book is : "Do not go to your grave and carry inside you the best that you have. Always choose to die empty.

The true meaning of this expression, is to die empty of all the goodness that is within you. Deliver it to the world before you leave.

If you have an idea perform it.

If you have knowledge give it out.

If you have a goal achieve it.

If you have resources assist the less opportuned

Love, share and distribute, do not keep it inside".

Let's begin to give. Remove and spread every atom of goodness inside you.

Start the race now!

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 on the courtyard, recited my prayers and carried out my exercise regimen.

Bath followed by breakfast of appams, egg roast.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, watched an episode of Crime Patrol followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

Guidelines to stay safe in the spiralling heat.

* Avoid direct exposure to sunlight between 10 AM and 3 PM when 'uv' radiation is at its peak.

* Stay hydrated : drink plenty of water at regular intervals.

* Use protective gear such as hats, umbrellas and sunglasses while stepping outdoors.

* Wear loose, light-coloured cotton clothing that covers the body.

* Take frequent breaks in shaded or cool areas during travel or outdoor work.

* Outdoor workers, fishermen, bikers and tourists should exercise extra caution.

* Elderly people, children and those with existing health conditions should avoid prolonged outdoor  

   exposure.

* Be aware that surfaces like water, sand and concrete can reflect UV rays and increase exposure.

* Seek medical attention if symptoms like dizziness, excessive sweating, fatigue or sunburn occur.

Tailpiece.

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

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked on our courtyard, recited my prayers and carried out my exercise regimen.

Bath followed by breakfast of puttum pazhavum.

Worked on my laptop. 

Lunch, watched "Snehakkoottu" followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

            

Back at The Quarterdeck.

Got up at 4, went through our chores and were ready by 6 but quite a few small things perked up at the last moment that by the time we kicked off on our journey, it was a half past 6. Our first stop was at the Nagaraaja kshetram at Randalummoodu, as usual. Drove till the road transport corporation's service station and handed over the Chevy to Monish.

We had a darshan of the Kottarakkara Maha Ganapati, walked around the temple and resumed our journey. Had dropped in at Lekha's sister, Letha's place to hand over the mangoes collected from my compound. Had our breakfast at the Padma Cafe at Changanaasserry. It took a lot of time as the service was found to be wanting.

Reached The Quarterdeck by 2, sent Monish back and had a lovely lunch made by the maid. Siesta.

The evening chores, Rejith was called in to hand over the clothes for dry cleaning.

A quiet evening thereafter.

Tailpiece.

The Assembly elections to West Bengal (1st phase) and Tamilnadu took place today registering a 92.5% percentage in the former and 85.6% in the latter. The results should be interesting!

The heat, here, is manageable!

Got up around a half past 1 to reduce water levels and since sleep was hard to come by, recited my prayers. Turned off to sleep yet again.

Was 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 television.

Morning cuppa with Lekha. 

Bath followed by breakfast of idiyappams and potato stew. 

Left for Sarathy Auto Cars at Kottarakkara regarding the exchange of our cars. The chevy was inspected and taken for a test drive by them. Vishnu, Unni, Santosh and Geoffrey looked after us and we were given black tea/coffee for Lekha. We've zeroed in our new car - a Maruti Vottoris.

Returned home by a half past 11. Lunch was given, free, by Thulasi of Murukaalaya - damn sweet of him! The food was tasty and was being provided to visitors at Kottarakkara on the occasion of the Maha Ganapati kshetram's ulsavam.

A leisurely lunch followed by siesta.

Lekha got up by a half past 4, washed up and left for the Kottarakkara Maha Ganapati kshetram's "kettukaazhcha" on the occasion of the last day of the ulsavam. 

She returned by 2000 hrs.

A quiet evening of packing and securing for an early morning getaway tomorrow.

From The Quarterdeck to Raj Nivas.

Our day began 4, this morning. Went through our chores and were ready by a half past 6. Kannan had made it by that time and we set off at a quarter to 7. Returned soon after, from Chavakkad, to open up the servants' bathroom for Ramesh and his co-workers, who were cleaning the well.

Had breakfast at "Elayathu" at Mathilakam.

Took the Thrippoonithura- Thannermukkam Bund road to reach Kottayam by a half past 10. The traffic was easy and we had lunch at the Padma Cafe of Changanasserry by around a half past 1. It was nice.

Reached Lekha's sister, Letha's house to collect our dinner. 

Sent Kannan back and I drove to Raj Nivas with Lekha. Reached there by a half past 3.

As Lekha caught up with her forty winks, I spoke to Mom and dad - briefed them about my illness, set up the puja room draping our ''pattu" on Guruvayurappan and got the lamp ready.

Lekha goes to the Kottarakkara Maha Ganapati kshetram to view the lighting in lieu of the ulsavam and to drop in on her chittappan-kunjamma and Venu-Vidya-Vivek to hand them over a handful of mangoes from our mango tree.  

A quiet evening.

Limbering up!

Got up at 5, sent 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 on the courtyard, went through my exercise regimen: recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast of poorie, bhaaji.

Lekha goes to the ration stand to buy our monthly dues and sundry purchases.

Selvam comes in for pressing clothes as he was going to Pondicherry to cast his vote. He'll return after a week.

Lunch, watched "Snehakkoottu" followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

Shut down The Quarterdeck, systematically.

A boisterous Sunday.

Got up at 5, Aniyan and ammaayi were off to the temple to have the 'darshan' of the good Lord. Sent 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 on the courtyard, went through my exercise regimen; recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast of poories and bhaaji ordered from Hotel Welcome.

Maalu and Paaru went to the Mammiyoor temple for the darshan of the good Lord.

Lunch from Hotel Welcome again.

Aniyan and family left home for Kidangoor by a half past 2 and they reached their house at 1950 hrs.

A quiet evening, watching television.

The Quarterdeck is all quiet again!

Aniyan and family arrive.

Got up at 5, sent 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.

Had bath; recited my prayers in the process as I didn't want to be late when the guests arrived.

The maid was well ahead of time and commenced her work so that she could leave early after preparing lunch and dinner.

Spoke to both Sreedevi and Saumya of AIMS, to take clearance from Dr Rajesh Jose, my cardiologist, regarding substitution of Carvidas 6.25 in place of BetaOne XL 25. Got the approval by lunchtime.

Worked on my laptop.

Yakkitiyak with Aniyan and his family(Usha ammayi, Maalu and Praarthana). The dress bought for Paru, yesterday from Seematti at Kochi, was ill fitting. So, Lekha took Malu and Paru to the Trends outlet and bought a new dress for the little one. And weren't they happy?

A boisterous lunch followed by siesta.

Aniyan and his family, along with Lekha, goes to the temple for the darshan of the good Lord @ a quarter to 5, after tea.

A long evening with full of yakkitiyak!

They return past 9, fully satisfied with their outing. Lekha had come in much earlier as she prepared the main dish for dinner!

And a boisterous dinner!

Our quarterly medical reviews!

Our day had begun at 4, went through our chores and were ready by around 6. Earlier, we'd recited our prayers!

We kicked off for Kochi at a quarter past 6, reached Aaryaas at Idappalli, had breakfast and reached the Diabetic Care of India by a quarter to 10. I entered the clinic on the dot at 10. All the girls were there and the doctor fetched up an hour late after his tryst with the auditors along with Meera.

Satish Bhat has given me a course of six injections around my tummy to enhance my Haemoglobin - over a period of six months.

We, then, went across to Chellakkili's office and we had tender coconut water!

By a quarter to 1, we were headed for Shenoy Care. Had a quick bite of vegetarian lunch and went through Lekha's registration formalities. She went through the tests, we met the junior doctor, Aswathy an hour later. By the time we met Dr Padmanabha Shenoy it was a half past 5. Lekha will go through the biopsy, we've decided.

And after a quick cup of tea and 'ullivada' at the canteen, we're on our return to Guruvayur.

Reached home by a quarter past 9. Settled down quickly. 

TMC's shameless lie exposed!

"Bengal was never a manufacturing hub and never can be", thus spake Mahua Moitra, the party's MP during her election rallies.

Then how do you explain the legacy of Hindustan Motors, Burn & Company, Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals, Dunlop India and more?

Under Mamata Banerjee, corruption, strikes, violence and a broken business climate pushed 6,668 companies out of Bengal. First they destroyed the industrial backbone. Now they deny it ever existed.

They lie. They deflect. They deny. But Bengal remembers. And Bengal will respond.

Mamata Banerjee has been unusually silent on this and many more!

Tailpiece.

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

The Rajah team had come by to draw my blood samples for tests.

Had breakfast to be in time for the 'post prandial blood sugar' test.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, watched "Snehakkoottu" followed by siesta.

The evening chores. 

Vishu '26.

Got up at 4, got the Vishukkani ready, brought Lekha from our first floor bedroom down below to our puja room to view the kani. "Kanikaanum neyram, kamalanethrante......", the iconic song that characterises Vishu, the festival always, was playing on the home theatre! It was a perfect beginning to Vishu '26!

Sent all the messages.

The Wednesday "aarathi" of the house was carried out.

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Handed over the 'Vishukkaineettam' to Ramakrishnan, the newspaper boy.

Walked on the courtyard; recited my prayers and followed it up with the ground exercises.

Bath; handed over Lekha her Vishukkaineettam. A lovely breakfast of Aval nanachathu, uzhunnu vada and paal paayasam.

Wished Maman, Suma kunjamma and Aniyan, Vishu wishes.

Dismantled the Vishukkani, threw away the old flowers and put each of the items back into their respective places.

Lunch, watched television for a while followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

Watched a few of our favourite Malayalam serials. 

Hit the sack at our usual time of a half past 11.

 

Helping Lekha in setting up the "Vishukkani"

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

The morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked on the courtyard; recited my prayers.

Breakfast of idlis and sambar!

Bath and was ready by a half past 10. Off to Dr Kripal's hospital for a second opinion on my medical test results.

Returned by a half past 2 after Lekha could finish her last-minute Vishu shopping.

Lunch, watched "Snehakkoottu" and siesta.

The evening chores.

Handed over the Vishukkaineettam to:-

     * Rajesh, our chauffeur

     * Farhaan, the medicine delivery boy

     * Pushpaakaran, the farmhand

     * Sukesan, the autorickshaw driver

     * Abhishek, the delivery boy from Harisree.

Post dinner, got down to setting up the Vishukkani with Lekha.

Tailpiece.

Was reminded of our first Vishukkani at The Quarterdeck with my Amma being the chief architect of the Vishukkani, in Apr 2014.

Adieu Asha Bhosle!

Asha Bhosle passed into the mist of time yesterday around 1100 hrs at the Breach Candy Hospital in Bombay.

She recorded her first song in 1943 and her last recorded song, "The Shadowy Light" came out two months ago. More than 12,000 songs across multiple languages - a career spanning 83 yrs - is her legacy! These are the days when one realises the insurmountable impact some artists have made in our lives. Asha Bhosle, without any exaggeration, is one of those rare artists.

Adieu Asha ji! My tears and prayers. You'll live on through your songs.

My all time favourite song of hers is "Aaiye Meherbaan" of Howrah Bridge!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent 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 on the courtyard: recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast of semiya upma.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, saw "Snehakkoottu" followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

Factories feel shortage of manpower.

Reminding the sight of migrant workers huddling together at Railway Stations during the Covid 19 severity, the flight of the migrant workers to their homes triggered by fears of shortage of cooking gas is a sad sight these days!

Manpower crisis

Federation of Indian Export Organisations(FIEO) says around 5-7% workers did not return due to LPG-related disruptions.

Industry players are seeking government intervention to improve living conditions of workers, introduce measures to minimise reverse migration.

The Tamilnadu government has asked Torrent Gas to ensure piped natural gas(PNG) supply to industrial units in madras within 60 days.

Around 10-20% migrant workers or roughly 10,000 labourers across western and southern Tamilnadu, have not returned to their workplaces.

Industry estimates indicate that nearly 2 lakh workers in Coimbatore left for Holi and are yet to return.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent 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 on the courtyard; recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast of assorted stuff.

Lunch followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

Watched the movie, "Sarvam Maya", starring Nivin Pauly, Riya Shibu and Preity Mukhundhan along with the others. Lekha and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

SIR in UP.

UP's final voter list out, 2 crore names deleted.

No of voters in UP post SIR           13.39 crores

Male                                                7,30,71,061 (54.54%)

Female                                             6,09,09,525 (45.46%)

Transgenders                                             4,206

Highest growth in voters since SIR first phase

Prayagraj                                               2,85,061

Lucknow                                               2,85,961

Bareilly                                                 2,57,920

Ghaziabad                                             2,43,666

Jaunpur                                                 2,37,590

Sahibabad                                                82,898

Lucknow west                                         54,822

Loni                                                         53,679

Firozabad                                                 47,757

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 on the courtyard; recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast of Puttum pazhavum.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

Through the Sabarimala entry case.

Restricting temple entry by denomination harms Hinduism

Hinduism will be adversely impacted if temples and mutts restrict entry on grounds of separate denominations inside a religion, Supreme Court says.

State can step in under article 25(2)(B)

The nine-judge Constitution Bench was responding to submissions of senior advocate CS Vaidyanathan that article 26(b) over 25(2b). The court did not agree with the supremacy of art 26(b) over 25(2b). Justice Nagarathna said that the State can step in under article 25(2b) to ensure access to temples to all sections.

Specificity of denomination not good : the court

* Vaidyanathan, for the devotees of Lord Ayyappa of Sabarimala temple, submitted that they constitute      a separate religious denomination and hence have the right to manage the temple's affairs

* To his submission, Justice Nagarathna said, ".....if you say only my denomination will attend the             temple, that is not good for Hinduism".

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 everyone.

Bath followed by breakfast of masala dosa and coffee.

Worked on my laptop.

A boisterous lunch, a bit of "Snehakkoottu" followed by siesta.

Padmakumar, Rema and Achu returned to Thrippunithura; enroute they'd dropped our maid at the Chavakkad bus stand. Had handed over the 'Vishukkaineettam" to the three of them!

A quiet evening.

Cast my vote!

Our day had begun at a half past 4, went through our chores and was ready by a quarter to 7. Off to the RCUP School which was our polling booth at 7 with the Radhakrishnans, our neighbours, in their car. Cast out votes by 8, had a 'Guruvayur darshan' before having our breakfast at Renai's hotel. Returned by a quarter to 10.

It was yet another quiet, warm day.

The maid was absent.

Lunch at our usual time with Lekha preparing chicken curry.

Saw "Snehakkoottu" followed by siesta.

The evening chores. 

Lekha went to the temple to have a darshan of the good Lord and offered the first mango from our tree at the 'nada'.

A video conference of our classmates, orchestrated by Babu Sahdev. The quorum was less than what I thought it would be, but it was nice all the same.

Padmakumar, Rema and Achu fetched up from Kochi and it was yakkittiyak as always. Slept past 11.  

News from Kalpakkam, Tamilnadu.

Prototype fast blade reactor(PFBR) is a fast breeder nuclear reactor with 500 MW electric capacity. Nuclear fuel in the reactor is Plutonium 239. 

Along with production of electricity, this reactor converts Uranium 238 to Plutonium 239. Thus it produces or converts more nuclear fuel material than it is consuming for power production.

Utilising this technology, Thorium 232 can be converted into Uranium 233 which is also a nuclear fuel material. Incidentally, India has the largest Thorium reserve in the world.

Hence the technology which is demonstrated now has the potential to solve the energy requirement of our country for generations.

My take

A great step indeed. Thankfully, the heap of sand - rich in Thorium - off the coast of Chavara, Kollam will be gainfully employed! 

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.

Carried out the Wednesday 'aarathi' of the house.

Walked on the courtyard; recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast of upma.

Worked on my laptop. Lekha goes to town to get a lot of work done.

Lunch, watched "Snehakkoottu" followed by siesta.

The evening chores. 

9 cops sentenced to death in Tamilnadu.

In a groundbreaking verdict, a court in Madurai handed death penalty to all the nine policemen convicted in connection with the custodial torture and death of two traders - P Jeyaraj and his son, Beniks - at Sathankulam in Thoothukudi in 2020.

Referring to similar incidents in the US, First Additional District and Sessions Judge G Muthukumaran observed that custodial killings are a social evil and an assault on human rights. The judgement, it's hoped, will serve as a warning to stop the recurrence of similar incidents.

As per prosecution, on 19 Jun 2020, the convicted cops picked up Jeyaraj for allegedly keeping their mobile phone shop open beyond the Covid-19 curfew hours. When Beniks went to the police station and requested his father's release, they verbally abused Jeyaraj in front of him, leading to a quarrel. Following this, the father-son duo was subjected to extreme physical assault, leading to their deaths in a hospital a few days later.  

My take

A very sad incident!

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 the prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast of pancakes.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch; the power outage prevented us from viewing the television, siesta.

The evening chores.

The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR).

The NFR achieves milestones, boosts connectivity

The Northeast Frontier Railway has achieved significant milestones during the 2025-26 fiscal year, with enhanced connectivity, modernisation, passenger comfort and development across the region.

It introduced 20 pairs of new train services, including premium, semi-premium and conventional trains, strengthening connectivity.

NFR increased the speeds of 35 trains, resulting in a cumulative saving of 675 minutes in travel time. 

Simultaneously, the railway made notable progress with 100% electrification, contributing to Indian Railways' mission of sustainable and energy operations.

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.

Resmi calls up to say that the wedding of Kripa-shankar and Aishwarya ( daughter of a Telugu couple settled now at Ambalamukku, Thiruvananthapuram), sometime next year. Aishwarya is working at Google in the US and is friends with Kripa-shankar. She's a Brahmin girl and they want the wedding to be done as per their traditions!

Walked within the house; recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast of appams and chammanthi.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, watched "Snehakkoottu" followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

Met the Medical specialist, Jimmy Francis and my friend to show my recent test results at KIMS, Thiruvananthapuram. 

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

9-judge bench to hear pleas...

On Sabarimala verdict review.

The new bench comprises :-

     

     * Chief Justice Surya Kant

     * Justice V Nagarathna

     * Justice MM Sundresh

     * Justice Ahanuddin Amanullah

     * Justice Aravind Kumar

     * Justice Augustine George Masih

     * Justice Prasanna B Varale

     * Justice R Mahadevan

     * Justice Joymalya Bagchi

The time line.

     * 07 Apr            Shall begin hearing the review case

     * 07-09 Apr       The review petitioners shall be heard

     * 16-17 Apr       The parties opposing the review will be heard

     * 21 Apr            The rejoinder submissions will be heard

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 and breakfast.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, watched an episode of "Crime Patrol" followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

I'd some jokes on the armed forces....

I had a joke on the Infantry...it's still in the trenches.

I had a joke on the Armoured Corps...but I lost its track.

I had a joke on the Signals...but I couldn't "air" it.

I had a joke on the Artillery....but they couldn't hear me.

I had a joke on the Paras....but it got lost in free fall.

I had a joke on the EME...but it went off-road.

I had a joke on the Air Defence Corps...but they shot it down.

I have got a joke on the Ordnance Corps...but it's not indented yet.

The joke on the ASC...is in short supply.

I had a joke on the Engineers...but it got demolished in between.

I had a joke on the Education Corps...it's still being studied for the content.

And finally,

I also have a joke on the DRDO but I'll tell it 20 years from now!

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 in front of the house; recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast of appams and stew.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, watched an episode of Crime Patrol, followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

Blessings and prayers on Good Friday.

   1. May God's mercy fill your heart with peace and comfort today.

   2. May your faith grow stronger and your worries fade away.

   3. May this Good Friday bring healing, hope and endless grace.

   4. May divine love guide every step you take.

   5. May your prayers rise and your blessings fall like gentle rain.

   6. May your heart be calm and your soul be at peace.

   7. May God protect you and your loved ones always.

   8. May forgiveness, kindness and compassion fill your life.

   9. May today renew your spirit and strengthen your trust in God.

 10. May your day be wrapped in peace, love and heavenly light.

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 on the road in front of the house; recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast of appams and egg masala.

Worked on my laptop.

Suresh, from Ribi's Asian Paints team, finished up the last of the jobs remaining. Gave him our first Vishukkaineettam for the year.

Lunch, watched "Snehakkoottu" and siesta.

The evening chores.

We've a guest.

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 outside the house: recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast of puttum pazhavum.

Worked on my laptop.

Leela Samson drops in by a half past 12.

Lekha had made Fish curry and meals. Leela seemed to enjoy it.

Met Roopika and Layapriya, two of Leela's disciples. Roopika's one of three daughters has been selected for the Sainik School.

They all leave by 3, back to Kochi.

Siesta after watching the serial, "Snehakkoottu".

The evening chores.

A quiet evening.

The FCRA Bill.

Lok Sabha was set to take up the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) for passage today. Owing to pressure from Kerala's BJP, the government decided to take up the amendment on a later date because of the strong opposition from the state's Christian denominations who feel that their contributions are being brought under check!

The amendment allows the Centre to appoint a designated authority, which could control funds and assets if the FCRA certificate of an NGO is cancelled, surrendered or ceased.

Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, head of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, expressed concern over the proposed amendments.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India wrote to the Home Minister seeking wider consultation and safeguards against 'excessive state control over civil society'. 

80% of Christian NGOs in Kerala have FCRA licence.

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.

Breakfast of dosas and chana before bath.

Worked on my laptop. 

Bath followed by siesta.

Lunch, saw "Snehakkoottu" followed by siesta.

Lekhs went to the temple for the darshan of the good Lord and buys grocery from the Harisree supermarket.

The evening chores.

The first fully-digital census.

India's first fully-digital census to kick off on 01 Apr.

The process starts with self-enumeration in Delhi, Goa. Karnataka, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Orissa, Sikkim and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Second phase from Feb '27

The census 2027 will be done in two phases - house listing or house census and population enumeration. After a 15-day self enumeration period, the 30-day house-listing phase will begin on 16 Apr. Across the country, the first phase will be wrapped up by October. The population enumeration phase will then be conducted in Feb 2027.

No decision taken on NPR updation

* The self-enumeration will begin on 16 Apr in Andhra Pradesh, 26 Apr in Telangana, 16 Jun in Kerala     and 17 Jul in Tamilnadu. The date for West Bngal is yet to be decided.

* The Registrar General has said that no decision has been taken on National Population Register's 

   updation.

31 lakh enumerators to participate in the world's largest census

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 on the road in front of the house; recited my prayers.

Lekha goes to the temple for the darshan of the good Lord and to buy sundries.

Bath and breakfast of dosas and chana.

Worked on my laptop. Sent my March mail by a trifle after 12. The formatting went awry.

Lunch, watched "Snehakkoottu" followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

   

Whither West Asia war?

The war between US-Israel vs Iran is entering its 5th week and there isn't any let up. I would like to classify this war into three stages as of now :-

    (a) US and Israel carry out deadly missile strikes, decapitating the top Iranian leadership

          including the Supreme leader.

    (b) The Houthis, Hezbollah and the Hamas join Iran making it a wide front concentrating

         on the destruction of Israel.

    (c) 3,500 marines poised to be deployed in Iran.

What's gonna happen after that?

Either of the two possibilities.

     * The US deploys "boots on ground", a fierce battle ensues with heavy casualties on both sides.

        The American public mood will change seeing the sickening arrival of American soldiers, in

        body bags, at regular intervals! Mind you, the fallout would be that the public support would

        diminish raising a backlash on Trump.

     * The US puts pressure on the Iranians and by mid-Apr, Trump's gonna pull out from the                            engagement, citing victory.

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.

Sajish comes in, gives me a good haircut and massage.

Lekha goes to Mammiyur temple to carry out Mini's vow.

Walked on the road in front of the house; recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast of idlis and sambar.

Worked on my laptop.

Spoke to Anup, BM of the SBI and put in the requisite action for taking a loan.

Lunch, saw "Snehakkoottu" followed by siesta.

A quiet evening.

Bath followed by breakfast of idlis and sambar.

Back @ The Quarterdeck.

Our day began at 4, this morning. Went about our chores and we were ready by 6 but our sa'arthi, Monish came about around a quarter to 7. Between the caretaker and me, we'd loaded the Chevy with our luggage and set off soon after.

Our first stop was at the Nagaraja temple at Randalummoodu. After meeting the priest, resumed our journey and had our next halt at the Kottarakkara Maha Ganapathi temple. Had a nice darshan and we pressed on to Letha's place at Mylam from where we collected our breakfast and lunch packs!

We'd breakfast of idlis and chutney in the car with a cuppa tea to wash it down at a wayside tea stall.

The journey was smooth with Monish clipping at an average of 90 kmph and we reached Thrissur by a 20' past 1. The PM electioneering visit was on and therefore, we did face traffic restrictions and diversions. Reached Guruvayur by a quarter to 2.

Unloaded the Chevy, sent Monish back and had our lunch.

Siesta.

The evening chores.

Watched Lekha watering the plants and sat down to watch the television.

A quiet evening!

A quiet day!

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 television.

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked within the house; recited my prayers.

Breakfast was colonial with toasts and eggs.

Frequent power outages were the order of the day.

Washed all the clothes, along with the bed linen.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch of rice, fish curry and assorted vegetable dishes.

Siesta; got up just in time to collect all the dried clothes from the clothing line outside, from the flash thundershowers that fell.

Saw our serials in bits and pieces thanks to the frequent power outages.

A quiet evening! 

Nearly two months of fuel available.

Next two months also secured : India has 60 days of crude oil and fuel reserves!

* Government assures no supply gap; situation fully secure

* Advance imports in place; refineries operating at full capacity

* Government says no fuel shortage despite global tensions

* India is well prepared for disruptions

Tailpiece.

Got up at a half past 4, sent all the messages, opened up the house for the day, lit up the puja room lamp and switched on the hymns on the television.

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked within the house; recited my prayers.

Breakfast of idlis and chhole, followed by bath.

Lunch, watched "Snehakkoottu" followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

The tests.

By midnight, my stomach was washed down by the Colonprep. Had slept well thereafter. Got up at 5, had washed myself and resumed the second round of washing down my stomach and was ready by a half past 8. Kuttu had come by with breakfast for Rema and Padmakumar.

Kuttu, then, dropped us at KIMS and I was taken into the minor OT for the proceedures. By 11, I was brought out of the minor OT on completion of endoscopy and colonoscopy. I've a problem of thickening blood vessels within the alimentary canal! Was referred to the Haematologist, blood tests were carried out out and the ultra sound scan of my abdomen done. 

Had lunch late, by a half past 3.Soon after, we left Thiruvananthapuram for Thalavoor and reached Raj Nivas by 6.  The care - chauffeured by Sachin - then dropped Padmakumar-Rema at Vetteelazhikam and returned.

Had fruits and watched television serials with Lekha. 

Was dog tired!

Slept at our usual time!

At KIMS and onward.

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 television.

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Bath followed by breakfast; recited my prayers.

Ajub comes in by 9 and set off for Thiruvananthapuram: picked up Padmakumar and Rema from Pidavoor; resumed our journey.

Reached KIMS by 11, met Lynda and commenced pre-anaesthesia checks. Met the anaesthetist, took her advice, samples of my blood were drawn, bought the purgatives and settled down at 205, Ivy Residency. Had the lovely lunch prepared by Rema followed by siesta.

Suma kunjamma and Kuttu had come by to take us to their house. Instead we'd dinner at Imperial Kitchen, nearby. 

A quiet evening thereafter.

  

At the Neelamperoor Devi kshetram.

Had got up 1, went through our chores and we were ready by a half past 2 and Monish was at our gate at that time. We kicked off soon after. A massive accident about 4 km north of Kottarakkara; thankfully there were no casualties. As the recovery vessel and the police came into the scene along with the electricity board guys, we resumed our journey.

Reached the ground opposite the Neelamperoor Devi kshetram, at a half past 4 and we stayed put in the car till 5, when Subbalakshmi's Venkatachalapathi hymn started blaring out of the temple's loud speakers. Rang up Saji as he came out to light up the lamp.

Joined in the first puja, "Ashtabhishekam" and saw to its logical conclusion.. Passed on the puja articles for the next serial.

A boisterous breakfast. Aniyan had come by then!

By that time the rest of the PN Panicker-Chempakakutty Amma family was in we were on to the next puja.

Went to the Puthuvayil House, saw Unni and Valsala's mother, aged 87 years.

Returned, had a short snooze.

Joined in for the evening puja. Set up the external oil lamps and lit them too!

The final puja and the dakshina were handed over.

Had dinner and kicked off on our return around a half past 8, after meeting up with Mini.

Reached Raj Nivas by a quarter past 10.

At the Kusappilli temple.

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

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Recited my prayers while walking inside the house.

Lekha goes to Kottarakkara to fix up everything for her dad's remembrance day tomorrow and to do sundry shopping.

Padmakumar and Rema came home with a lovely lunch by her. But poor Rema is still unwell and she took precautions.

Siesta.

Went off to Kusappilli temple by a quarter past 6.

The evening function with the transport minister, KB Ganesh Kumar went off well.

Kanji, payar and paayasam at the temple.

Dropped Rema-Padmakumar at Pidavoor and returned.

An early night.

From The Quarterdeck to Raj Nivas.

Lekha had got up at 3 as she'd made up her mind to prepare both breakfast and lunch for everyone during the journey. This was because :-

   * two days back when we'd gone out with Mini, we'd visited the famous Guruvayur Tiffin for                    breakfast. To our utter surprise we were told that only idlis and upma were available; by a half 

      past 8, idlis were over. This was the result of the shortage of cooking gas thanks to the ongoing 

      Gulf War.

   

   * eating out, these days, has become a hassle and it's better to avoid it till the situation eases out.

And wow, what a fair it was! Breakfast was puries, peas paneer curry and boiled eggs and lunch was fried rice and salad.

Sajish reached the house on the dot and we cast off at a quarter to 7.

Had breakfast at Rema's place by 9. She was okay, much better after what she was yesterday.

The journey was smooth with no traffic snarls at all.

Reached Letha's house by a quarter past 1. Had lunch, caught my forty winks and we resumed our journey, dropped Sajish at the rtc bus stand by a quarter past 3.

Got behind the wheel and dropped Rema-Padmakumar at Pidavoor.

Reached Raj Nivas by 4, quickly unpacked, set the house in order and allowed Lekha to have her siesta.

Spoke to mom and dad.

A quiet evening!.  

The National Dental Commission.

The commission will frame rules, conduct rating and assessment of dental institutions. It will evaluate human resources and promote dental research, frame guidelines for fee regulation in private dental colleges and establish standards for ethics.

To support the function of the commission, three autonomous bodies  have also been constituted which are :-

   

     * Undergraduate and Postgraduate Dental Education Board

        Will oversee dental education.

     * Dental Assessment and Rating Board

        Will regulate accreditation and institutional assessment.

     * The Ethics and Dental Registration Board

        Will govern professional conduct and registration of dentists.

Dr Sanjay Tewari                                          Chairperson of the commission

Dr Mousumi Goswami                                  Part-time Member

Dr Chandrashekhar Jankiram                    President, Undergraduate and Postgraduate DEB.

Dr Shailesh Madhav Lele                             Whole time member

Lt Gen  Tapas Kumar Bandyopadhyay                    "

Lt Gen Nanda Kishore Sahoo                       President, Dental Assessment and Rating Board

Arindam Modak                                             Secretary to the NDC.

My take

A step in the right direction!

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 and Mini.

Dropped Mini at the railway station and put her on the Passenger bound for Ernakulam at 0700 hrs.

Walked on the road in front of the house; recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast of dosas, chutney. The maid given homework.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch followed by siesta.

The metallic addition to our left boundary put in place. 

The Chevy was washed down and The Quarterdeck was systematically shut down.

Packing done in steps.

Rema and Padmakumar will be joining us tomorrow.

India today.

As global tensions escalate, India stands steady with an uninterrupted supply of crude and petroleum powering the nation forward.

This stability is no coincidence; it is the direct result of PM Modi's clear vision to transform India from import dependence to a truly Atmanirbhar Bharat.

From ethanol blending, which has significantly reduced our crude oil import bill, to the near-total electrification of railways (now at 99.4%), every step has fortified India's energy security. While others questioned initiatives like Make-in-India, the Modi government stayed focused, ensuring that Bharat never has to fear global uncertainty.

The result? A nation that is not just growing but is resilient and self-reliant.

Tailpiece.

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

Morning cuppa with Lekha and Mini.

Walked on the road in front of The Quarterdeck; recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast of Masala dosas with chutney.

Mini's friend, Saju Soman had dropped by; Seena was down too to attend on Lekha.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, watched "Snehakkoottu" followed by siesta.

Lekha and Mini go to the temple to have a darshan of the good Lord: Lekha by the local citizens' queue while Mini did it by joining the senior citizens' queue.

Pushpaakaran plucks the coconuts.

A quiet evening.

 

Iran war likely to jack up drug costs.

As the West Asia crisis continues, the Indian pharmaceutical industry fears that a prolonged disruption in petrochemical supplies, critical to drug manufacturing, syringes and packaging, could significantly impact the sector.

Used in synthesis of small-molecule apis

In drug manufacturing, petrochemicals are widely used in the synthesis of many small-molecule APIs. Aromatic compounds such as Benzene derivatives are involved in pathways for the synthesis  of analgesics like paracetamol. It is also used in tablets, injectables and liquid formulations, including polyethelene glycol, polysorbates and parabens.

Integral to syringes, IV bags, ampoules

Beyond medicines, petrochemical-derived plastics and polymers are integral to syringes, IV bags and diagnostic kits, among others. Pharmaceutical packaging, too, relies heavily on such materials. Plastic component in blister packs, ampoules and high-density polyethene bottles that stores delicate medicines are derived from petrochemicals.

My take

The war needs to end soon but that idiot Trump doesn't know when to do it. Sadly, he lacks good advisers!

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 and Mini.

Was ready by 7, Rahul was at our door 10' before and we cast off on the dot. We visited the following places :-

       * Vadakkunnatha Siva kshetram

       * Paarameykkavu Devi kshetram

       * Hotel Guruvayur Tiffin for breakfast. Got only upma as idlis had got over! The gas shortage!!

       * The Sri Rama-Sita kshetram with Hanuman's huge statue in front of it.

       * The Venu's, at Chaavakkaad, to collect our induction cooker that was given for guarantee

          repairs.

Returned by a half past 10. Mini's yet another requirement fulfilled.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, watched "Snehakkoottu" followed by siesta.

A quiet evening.

SIR timeline - West Bengal.

Starting point : Existing voter list

The process began with the previous electoral roll - 7.08 crore voters.

Draft roll preparations (bulk deletion stage) 

* BLOs verified voters physically

* Data was cross-checked with death records, migration data etc

* 58.2 lakh names removed

* This formed the draft poll roll

* Publication of draft roll

Claims and objections window opened after the draft for

* Applying to re-add their names (if wrongly deleted)

* Requesting corrections

* Objecting to wrong inclusions

Final verification (2nd filter)

* Claims filled by voters

* Objections raised

* Field verification reports

* 5.46 lakh additional names removed

* Some previously deleted names may also have been restored

What the two key numbers mean (core confusion)

* 58.2 lakhs        - deletions before draft

*   5.46 lakhs      - deletions after draft (final stage)

* 63.66 lakhs      - total deletions across entire process

Key pattern observed in Bengal SIR

* Higher share of deletions among women voters

* Significant impact in rural and migrant-heavy areas

* Sharp drop in some urban constituencies

The CEC says that the total number of eligible voters in the state currently stands at 6.44 crores in the electoral rolls published after the SIR on 28 Feb '26.

My take

Some semblance of law, order and clarity on completion of SIR. Phew!

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 and Mini; the latter was poised to leave for the Mammiyoor Siva kshetram by a half past 6.

Walked on the road in front of The Quarterdeck; recited my prayers.

On Mini's return, Lekha and she went to the Thiruvenkatam temple for darshan of the goddess.

Bath followed by breakfast of idlis and sambar.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, watched "Snehakkoottu" followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

The maid will not come by tomorrow and the day after because of her temple's ulsavam.

The winners and losers of war.

The winners of this war are already identified. They are the US-Israeli strategic axis that has achieved operational dominance, the defence-industrial complex that has added tens of billions to its valuation and the oil-exporting monarchies whose revenues have surged.

If the war grinds on unchecked for another month, it has serious implications for India, which is dreaming of a $5-trillion economy by 2027. For us, this conflict is not a distant headline but a dagger at the heart of our ambitions.

India just can't afford to be an accident and hapless victim of a war in which it hasn't fired a bullet, leave alone a bomb.

Courtesy. Prabhu Chawla in The NIE

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, opened up the house for the day, had an early tea with Mini and Lekha as the former was going for an early morning darshan of the good Lord.

A later morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked on the road in front of the house; recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast of appams and egg roast.

Off to Venu's at Chavakkad to h/o the defective Induction Cooker for guarantee repairs.

Worked on my laptop.

Reynish, came for servicing the stove and the chimney.

Lunch, watched "Snehakkoottu" followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

The looming Assembly polls.

 09 Apr                                          Assam            126 seats

                                                      Kerala            140 seats

                                                      Puducherry      30 seats

23 Apr                                           Tamilnadu      234 seats

23 & 29 Apr                                  West Bengal   294 seats

04 May                                                      RESULTS           

824 seats across 4 states and 1 Union Territory 

17.4 crore voters eligible to cast votes

Bypolls for 8 seats

The Election Commission of India announced polls for eight seats in six states. Bagalkot and Devanagere South in Karnataka, Goa's Ponda, Dharmanagar in Tripura and Koridang in Nagaland will vote on 09 Apr, Umreth in Gujarat, Baramati and Rahuri in Maharashtra on 23 Apr.       

Tailpiece.

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

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked on the road in front of the house; recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast of pancakes. Lekha goes to town to make sundry purchases. 

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, watched "Snehakkoottu" followed by siesta.

Teatime. Mini fetches up from Ayur; she'll be with us till the 21st when she returns to Bangalore.

A boisterous evening.

           

Iran's Kharg Island.

Key facts on Oil export hub.

Kharg underwent key developments during Iran's oil expansion in the 1960s and 1970s, with much of  the country's coast too shallow for super tankers.

Location

Small coral island in the Persian Gulf about 21 miles off Iran coast.

Oil export hub

* Primary terminal for nearly all Iranian oil exports.

* Satellite imagery recently showed multiple tankers loading crude from the island.

Economic importance

* Iran has exported 13.7 million barrels of oil since the war began.

* Oil shipments, including exports to China, form a key part of Iran's revenue.

Other details

Gazelles roam near the refineries and oil depots on the island.

Infrastructure

* Large oil storage tanks located in the southern part of the island.

* Facilities include refineries, depots and tanker-loading terminals.

* The island also has housing for thousands of workers.

Strategic significance

* One of Iran's  most valuable and sensitive assets.

* Analysts say losing control of Kharg would make it difficult for Iran's economy to function.

Tailpiece.

Today is Sanil's 2nd remembrance day.

Today is also the first of the Malayalam month of Meenam. Carried out Lekha's customary aarathi with a silver coin. 

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.

Babloo and Sadanandan - Trijo's boys - come at 7 to repair the drain on the truss work. They finish by a half past 10.

Walked on the road in front of the house; recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast of poori-bhaaji.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, watched television for a while followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

The Harishree delivery boy delivers the grocery.

 

P-17A stealth frigate, INS Taragiri to be commissioned.

INS Taragiri is the fourth Nilgiri-class ship under Project 17A. INS Taragiri and her sister ships carry a wide range of weapons, including the BrahMos supersonic missile, Barak-8 long-range surface-to-air missile system, 76 mm naval guns built under licence and torpedoes for anti-submarine operations.

These frigates are among the most advanced warships, built using integrated modular construction. They displace over 6,700 tons, carry at least 75% indigenous content and are slightly larger than the Shivalik-class.

Sleeker hulls, enclosed mooring decks, low infrared signatures and carefully designed deck rails allow crew to move safely while keeping the ships' radar and heat signatures low, making them difficult to detect in combat.

Each frigate can accommodate 225 personnel and operate shipborne helicopters for surveillance and anti-submarine  missions. The frigates are fitted with the hull mounted sonar advanced next generation (HUMSA-NG) developed by BEL.

For electronic warfare, the ships carry indigenous Ajanta and Shakti systems.

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.

The maid is off; on leave.

Walked on the road in front of the house; recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast of appams and egg roast.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, watched television followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

Trijo's men, Babloo, Sadanandan and Sivan came and placed their work tools for repairing the truss-work's waterway tomorrow.

Mujib came and replaced our top bedroom's a/c's voltage stabilizer. He also restored the non-working third electricity phase! 

  

The CPM corrects itself but what a mess!

After the stand taken by the party during Pinarayi Vijayan's first term as chief minister that women should be allowed entry for worship in the Sabarimala shrine, today it's had the ignominy of rolling back its stance and says, that the restriction of women in Sabarimala is sacrosanct and have decided to be along with the believers!

Can never forget the way they tried to push in a few women into the shrine during Pinarayi government 1.0, which was defiance against the Hindu believers and arrogance by the party with police connivance!

The electoral mathematic has brought the party to this decision! Actually, this is no decision at all! why can't the party tell the truth?

Did it correct itself? Not really.

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 on the road in front of the house; recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast of appams and egg roast.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, watched television followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

Jagada mami's mom passed into the mist of time around a half past 2 in the afternoon, soon after she'd finished a few spoon full of gruel. She was 93. Adieu Amme! Om Shanti! Sadgati. 

Global energy chokepoint in the cross-hairs.

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman that connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, serving as a key maritime route for global shipping. It is a major international waterway through which oil and gas exports from several Gulf countries reach global markets. With Iran going after shipments of American allies, Hormuz has become the biggest maritime chokepoint. The latest threat is the Iranian plan to mine the entire Strait. The US responded by bombing Iran's 16 mine-laying boats in the region. An overview.

Energising the world

* About 20% of the world's oil and natural gas passes through the strait.

* Roughly 20 million barrels of oil per day.

* Around 20-25% of LNG trade

* Disruption here affects global fuel prices and energy markets.

Countries using the route

Major oil exporters

* Saudi Arabia

* Iraq

* Kuwait

* Qatar

* UAE

* Iran

* Bahrain

Major Buyers

* China

* India

* Japan

* South Korea   

   

   Most Gulf oil exports to Asia pass through Hormuz

Why shipping has halted

* Iran has attacked ships and threatened vessels in the strait

* Tanker traffic through Hormuz has largely stopped

* Around 400 oil and product tankers are idle in the Gulf

Major shipping companies that have suspended crossings

* Maersk

* Hapag-Lloyd

* CMA CGM

* MSC

Impact on energy markets

* Oil prices have swung sharply amid disruption fears

* Even short interruption can destabilise global markets

* A closure lasting a month or more could push crude prices above $100 per barrel

Threats

Iran can target vessels using :-

* Anti-ship cruise missiles

* Long-range missiles

* Drones

* fast attack boats

* Naval mines

The US says it has destroyed 16 mine-laying vessels during the conflict.

Can the Strait reopen?

Plans being discussed include :-

* Naval escorts for oil tankers

* Multinational patrols

* Increased surveillance and intelligence sharing

* A France-led initiative is exploring escort missions to help shipping resume

Some pipelines in Saudi Arabia and the UAE bypass Hormuz, but most Gulf oil exports have no alternative route.

Strait of Hormuz is 33 km wide at the narrowest point.

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 on the road in front of the house; recited my prayers.

Bath, followed by breakfast of puttum, pazhavum, kadalayum.

Farmhand, Pushpaakaran comes by for spring cleaning the house; finishes his work by 3 PM.

Lunch, watched "Snehakkoottu" followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

Red flag for Mamata?

The Poriborton Yatra is resonating across West Bengal with a powerful demand : justice, dignity and safety for every woman.

Women across the state are raising their voices for security, respect and equal rights in society. The people of Bengal are uniting to ensure that every woman can live, work and pursue her dreams without fear.

From every corner of the state, one message is rising louder each day : "Paltano Dorkar, Chai BJP Sarkar!"

Poriborton for nariradhikar!

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 on the road in front of The Quarterdeck; recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast of puttum pazhavum.

Worked on my lap top.

Lunch, watched "Snehakkoottu" followed by siesta.

The evening chores. 

Cleaned up the Chevy's interior.

The world is passing through dire economic straits!

West Asia conflict's timing is unfortunate for India, just when it was navigating enviable 'Goldilocks' period with low inflation and good growth.

                                                      - Sunitha Natti. 

Rs.19 lakh crore wiped out from Indian market in five sessions. India's equity benchmark indices - NSE Nifty and BSE Sensex - falling up to 4%.

The market capitalisation (m-cap) of all BSE-listed firms has come down from 468.28 lakh crores to 449.35 lakh crores in the past one week. The Sensex has shed 1,046 points during this period.

My take

It has been our experience that the delivery of new domestic gas cylinders has touched a month. Lekha had picked up ours directly from the godown on the prodding of the Gas Agency! 

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 on the road in front of The Quarterdeck; recited my prayers.

Bath, followed by breakfast of dosas and chutney.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, saw "Snehakkoottu" and siesta.

The evening chores.