War with Iran postponed!

Planned US strike on Iran faces a major problem : toilet failures on board USS Gerald R Ford, their largest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier currently on deployment off the gulf region in west Asia!

The ship was due to undergo dry docking and refit way back in Jun 2024 but has been deployed continuously for more than one and a half years.

The Captain of the ship, too, had requested not to be deployed but to no avail.

Too few working toilets for 4,600 sailors and an erratic vacuum system that can't be fixed without returning to a dockyard.

My take

A real peculiar situation; any navy man would understand the situation!

Tailpiece.

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

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked within the house; recited my prayers.

Bath, followed by breakfast.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, watched the serial followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

Sukesan helped me to unpack the spanking new rocking chair and put it in its place.

An interesting day!

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 home theatre.

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked within the house; recited my prayers.

Bath, followed by breakfast of appams and egg roast.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, watched the serial, "Snehakkoottu", followed by siesta.

Went at 4, with Kannan, and converted Crazy to her Kerala registration on FASTag! Nejila of the Akshaya was of a great help.

Got dinner and ice cream from Welcome and Harisree.

Mukund and Devika drop by for dinner. They seemed to be happy! A pleasant evening.

  

The curse of Kerala!

'Nokkukooli' row disrupts waste management in Thiruvananthapuram!

Waste transport by Clean Kerala Company Ltd was halted after headload unions demanded 'nokkukooli' for loading and unloading at the facility.

Operations at the integrated plastic waste management facility at Muttathara - one of the largest centres handling non-biodegradable waste in the capital - have been severely disrupted due to a prolonged dispute over 'nokkukooli' (Gawking charge) for the past six months.

The headload workers affiliated with CITU, INTUC and BMS insisted on 'nokkukooli'. Nearly 300 tons of plastic waste has accumulated at the facility, disrupting the waste management network in the capital. Moreover, manual handling of waste is not feasible at the unit.

It is a fully mechanised facility. Each bailed bundle weighs around 800 kg and is handled using forklifts. On average, 25 tons of plastic waste was transported daily to cement factories. It is equipped with advanced systems for segregation and includes a plastic shredding and bailing unit. The High Court has  directed the police to intervene in case of any law and order issues. The court has also directed that headload workers and associates must not obstruct the functioning of the facility.

Tailpiece.

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

Walked within the house, recited my prayers.

Bath, followed by breakfast of puttum kadalayum.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, watched television followed by siesta.

The evening chores. 

2.69 cr voters in Kerala's final list.

After initial threats by the entire lot of opposition parties saying that they wouldn't allow the Election Commission to carry out Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the state's electoral rolls, the exercise has been completed. The final tally stands at 2.69 crore voters.

Interesting factors

* There were 2.78 crore voters in the roll before the SIR.

* 87.9 lakh names have been deleted from the earlier list.

* Of the 36.88 lakh voters summoned for hearing, 53,229 were excluded from the final roll. They were

   found to be either dead, had accepted overseas citizenship, shifted or were detected as duplicate

   entries.

* The final voters' list for the Assembly elections will have 16.54 lakh fewer voters compared to the 

   December 2025 local body voters' list.

* Voting in the Assembly elections will be held in 30,471 polling stations.

My take

Congress party's constant gripe about the EC, wasn't parroted by the other parties! After initial hurdles, the court had intervened and said that they didn't expect the exercise to be torpedoed by anyone and consequently, everyone fell in line!

Tailpiece.

Got up late around 7' past 6 and went about my morning chores.

A quiet Saturday!

A child must be six years....

From 2027, an entrant into Class I must be of six years as per the New Education Policy!

* Will affect teachers' appointments

* There will be a downfall of 45% students in class I 

During the academic year 2025 - '26, 2,34,476 students had joined class I.

When six years of age is made compulsory, one lakh students will be less 

and will continue to be so for the next 10 years!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, lit up the puja room lamp, switched on the hymns on the home theatre,

opened up the house for the day.

Walked within the house; recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast of idlis and sambar.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, watched television followed by siesta.

Met Jimmy; he has referred me to the gastroenterologist. 

A quiet evening.

 

An appointment with toothy Mallan.

Our day began this morning, at a half past 3 when Lekha's cellphone alarm woke us up. Went through the chores and were ready at the appointed hour; Kannan came in around that time and we kicked off at a quarter to 6, for Muhamma.

Luckily, we didn't come across any traffic blocks the whole day and reached Mallan's kitchen by a half past 9. Had a quick bite of breakfast and Lekha was on the toothy's chair, within no time. The dental work didn't take more than half an hour and we began our return trip by about 11 o'clock. 

Had a lovely lunch at Salkara, at the turn toward the Nedumbasserry airport! Spent about three quarters of an hour at the restaurant for finishing our meal. Resumed our journey, visited a nursery enroute, picked up a couple of ornamental plants, flower pots of varying sizes and some manure.

Had tea at the women's stall, soon after the Amala hospital. Reached The Quarterdeck by a quarter to 5, saw off the workers - Babu and Suresh - for the day, cleaning up our terrace. Settled down for the evening and saw the usual Malayalam television serials. 

Felt damn sleepy but hit the sack at a half past 11, our usual time!

Tailpiece.

A day that went by, like clockwork!  

Most prominent AI use cases across key sectors.

Education

* Standardised teaching to adaptive learning

   AI is shifting education from uniform instruction toward data-informed learning models.

* Adaptive learning platforms

   AI systems analyse student performance and engagement patterns to adjust lesson difficulty

   in real time. Gaps are identified early, allowing targeted intervention.

* Intelligent tutoring systems

   Virtual tutors provide explanations, feedback and practice exercises on demand. These systems

   scale across thousands of learners simultaneously.

* Automated assessment and feedback

   AI tools assist in grading assignments and analysing written responses, reducing administrative

   burden and freeing educators for mentorship and deeper instruction.

Impact. AI is enabling scalable personalisation that was previously limited to one-on-one

             teaching. 

Healthcare

* Diagnosis to prediction

   Healthcare remains one of the most consequential domains for AI deployment.

* Medical imaging and diagnostics

   AI models analyse scans to detect cancers, strokes and respiratory conditions with increasing

   accuracy, assisting clinicians in faster diagnosis.

* Predictive risk modelling

   Algorithms process patient histories to assess disease risk and enable preventive interventions.

* Drug discovery and research acceleration

   AI tools identify molecular compounds and simulate outcomes, compressing early-stage research

   timelines.

Impact. AI is strengthening the shift from reactive treatment to preventive and precision care.

Entertainment

* Personalisation and production at scale

   AI is altering both how content is created and how it is consumed.

* Recommendation engines

   Streaming platforms use behavioural date to personalise viewing and listening experiences.

* Content production tools

   AI assists in editing, script drafting, animation workflows and visual effects enhancement.

* Synthetic media technologies

   AI-driven dubbing, voice synthesis and digital avatars are expanding multilingual and global

  content distribution.

Impact. AI is increasing production efficiency while tailoring content to individual users.

Tailpiece.

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

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked within the house; recited my prayers.

Bath, followed by breakfast of appams and dry coconut chutney.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, watched "Snehakkoottu" on television, followed by siesta.

Suresh and Babu - of the Asian Paints team - worked on the roof and had applied the first coat of paint by the end of the day.

The evening chores.

Ceremonial code.

Ceremonial code for National Song and National Anthem.

National Song (Vande Mataram)

Playing time 19.0 sec for official six-stanza version

When it has to be played.

* Unfurling of Tricolour

* Arrival and departure of the President at formal events

* Before and after the President addresses the nation

* Arrival and departure governors/lieutenant governors at formal state functions

* Civil investitures

* When the national flag is brought on parade

The Protocol

* Audiences must stand in attention

* Mass singing encouraged

   If national song and anthem are to be played at the same event, national song to be played first

National Anthem (Jana Gana Mana)

Playing time 52 sec

When it has to be played

* National salute to the President or governors/LGs

* Parades and formal state/UT  functions

* Before and after the President's address

* Presenting regimental colours

* Sports events

* Diplomatic receptions; visiting nation's anthem played first

The Protocol

* Audiences must stand in attention

* Should not be sung or played indiscriminately

Tailpiece.

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

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked within the house; recited my prayers.

Bath, followed by breakfast of a colonial type!

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch; watched "Snehakkoottu" followed by siesta.

The evening chores. The Neelamperoor Devi kshetram payment has been done. Our family would conduct the second day (24 Mar) of the 'utsavam'.

Mujib comes by around sunset time and services our air-conditioners.

My salute, li'l one!

Oh this glorious sadness 

that brings me to my knees

In the arms of the angel

Fly away from here....

 - Sarah McLachlan, Angel

Aalin Sherin Abraham has gone from the cradle to the grave in 10 months. She, who has also scripted a new chapter as the youngest organ donor in the state, was laid to rest with full state honours at the St Thomas CSI Church cemetery, in Nedungadappally, Pathanamthitta on the 15th.

Aalin's mortal remains were brought to her home at Mallappally around 0800 h from a private hospital in Nedungadappally. Public viewing was held first, at the hospital and later at the residence till 1400 h, where thousands offered floral tributes.

The grief-stricken parents, Arun Abraham and Sherin Ann John were inconsolable. 

Aalin sustained critical injuries in a car accident in Chingavanam near Kottayam on 05 Feb. She was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Kochi when she was declared brain dead on the 13th.

Her eyes, heart valve, liver and kidneys were transferred to the needy!

Adieu li'l Aalin! My salute, tears and prayers for you!! May god give strength to Arun and Sherin to tide

over these trying times!!!

Tailpiece.

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

Off to Rajah hospital for giving my sample but not accepted because the receptacle wasn't right.

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked within the house; recited my prayers.

Bath, followed by breakfast of appams and egg fry.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch with fish, followed by siesta.

To Dr Hema at the Rajah hospital; dropped the sample at the lab.

Siesta.

The evening chores.

Offered our condolences to Rajamma chechi's son, Subhash.

Spoke to toothy Mallan and fixed up the Thursday morning appointment.

Adieu Rajamma chechi!

Rajamma chechi, of our neighbouring Thottadiyil House - at my village, Nadutheri - passed into the mist of time last evening around 9. She was 85 and her end was brought about by old-age-related illnesses. Her husband, Manian Pillai, had passed away on 19 Aug 2009, 17 years back.  

He'd a problem of drinking, with a gay abandon. He was our caretaker during my dad's time especially when he used to direct the family's farming interests - paddy fields, coconut trees and rubber - himself. After a day's work, dad and he used to have long conversations about the forthcoming activities. There used to be small fights over our paddy fields' boundaries and though dad preferred a mild approach, Manian Pillai used to pick up quarrels which dad had to sort out, eventually!

He was a very lovable guy and used to be fond of me and my sisters. Between him and Rajamma chechi, they've six children viz. three boys and three girls. 

Rajamma chechi had undergone abject poverty, in that on certain days, Manian Pillai, after his work, used to spend the entire money at the bar and used to sleep on our verandah, without my dad's knowledge.

Their eldest son, Surendran, is a farmhand and his weakness, too, is drinking. The second son, Suresh, has got over his drinking problems and is now, the owner of a soda vending shop. The third, Subhash, is a successful businessman, works for St Gobain, based in Sreeperumbudoor and has saw mill and metal turning units in our village, providing jobs to youngsters.

Of the three daughters, two are teachers and the third is working for the panchayat. All are married and have their own families. The middle daughter, Sumangala, had stayed with us, doing the household chores and my parents had ensured that she passed out a graduate! 

It's the children who provided Rajamma chechi the affluence, that she richly deserved toward the last years of her life and I'll never forget as to how mightily pleased she was when she'd provided Lekha and me with a superb lunch, a couple of years back!

Adieu Rajamma chechi! My tears and prayers!! Will always remember you because you never blamed fate for your bad days, showing the toughness in you!

Tailpiece.

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

Lekha went to the Mammiyoor Siva kshetram, at 6, as today's Sivarathri. 

Walked within the house; recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast of masala dosas, bought by Lekha.

Suma kunjamma, her friends, Vimala (Mini's colleague at the Chinmaya School in Thiruvananthapuram, quite a while back) and Mohan had come by and returned to the temple by lunch time. It was nice interacting with them.

Lunch followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

PM Modi lands on highway strip.

About 300 km from the LAC, the PM had landed on the first Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) at Moran, in the Dibrugarh district of Assam in a C130J, on NH 127. In the presence of the PM and the CM of Assam, an IAF Sukhoi aircraft also took off from the ELF.

 The IAF had undertaken successful trials on the 4.2 km stretch two days ago.

The ELF is capable of handling fighter aircraft up to 40 tons and transport aircraft up tp 74 tons max. take off weight.

The PM had inaugurated Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu, built at a cost of Rs.3,030 cr across the River Brahmaputra. The six-lane extradosed prestressed concrete bridge connects Guwahati with North Guwahati and is the first extradosed bridge in the northeast. It will cut travel time between Guwahati-North Guwahati to seven minutes.

Considering the high seismicity of the region, the bridge incorporates base isolation technology using friction pendulum bearings.

The Prime Minister flagged off 225 electric buses under the PM-ebus Sewa Scheme as follows :-

      * Guwahati             100

      * Nagpur                  50

      * Bhavnagar             50

      * Chandigarh           25

Tailpiece.

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

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked within the house; recited my prayers.

Bath; followed by breakfast of poories-bhaaji.

Worked on my laptop.

Ramesh and Sijo work on repairing stuff and changed flower pots; Suma kunjamma drops by. 

Lunch.

A long chat with Suma Kunjamma. Siesta.

A quiet evening. Suma kunjamma leaves to be with her friends; will be coming tomorrow.

BNP romps to power.

The results of the recently concluded general elections in Bangladesh is out, with the late Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) winning by a landslide. Tarique Rehman, her and Gen Zia-ur-Rehman's son, is the prime ministerial candidate. How his party's outlook toward India is, needs to be watched and seen over time.

What needs to be factored in, by India's National Security apparatus is that almost all the constituencies of the border areas, with India, have been won by the highly toxic and Pakistani-military-supported, Jamaat-e-Islami. Also the ones around the chicken's neck area!

There's also a sizeable number of the population who've an extremist mindset. It's my fond hope that Tarique Anwar would be able to carry all of them along and bring about bold democratic reforms in the Constitution which has got the green signal at the referendum with 68% of ayes!

Bangladesh continues to be a tricky neighbour!

Tailpiece.

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

Lekha's aa'rathi carried out with a silver coin as today's the 1st of the Malayalam month of Kumbham.

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked within the house; recited my prayers.

Bath, followed by breakfast of appams and egg masala.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, watched the serial followed by siesta.

The evening chores.  

The silent crime in the global market.

The art of economic war.

This was not a war.

No bombs were dropped.

No soldiers died.

But....

A superpower slowly went down on

its knees.

The weapons? Tariffs.

The trap? FTAs (Free Trade

Agreements).

The target? Not Donald Trump....

but his economic ego.

This was not a loud war.

This was a silent, suffocating war.

Where did the pressure on Trump

begin?

Trump's real concern wasn't what 

India said.

It was what India did - without

saying anything.

India never once said:

"Reduce tariffs on us or our stock

market will crash". 

That's the language of the weak.

That's begging.

India used Institutional

Counterweight Strategy

A planned, legal - yet ruthless -

economic move.

No threats anywhere.

But with every step, the opponent

struggled to breathe.

First Move - Europe (27

countries) The Trojan Horse

India first joined hands

with the 27 nations of the European

Union.

It was called -

"The Mother of All Deals".

The real shift happened there.

European cars, Wines, whiskies,

Medicines....

All positioned to become cheaper

than American products.

First Mover Advantage - to the EU.

America? Standing outside the 

market, watching.

That's when Trump realised - This

wasn't a tariff war. This was market 

occupation.

Second Move - Canada

The Licensed Smuggling Route.

Next plan - FTA with Canada.

In business language, this is

"Smuggling with a License".

Simple Maths :

1 kg Indian rice = Rs.100

Direct export to USA - 50% tariff

- Rs.150

But...

FTA with Canada - Rs.100 to

Canada

Canada rebrands

Rs.20 margin

Sells to USA - Rs.120

Because between USA - Canada,

there is USMCA.

Meaning -

The snake dies without breaking

the stick.

Indian goods legally enter the US

through the gaps in American trade

structures.

Trump understood this game. In 

the end, not ego - but economic

interest decides.

Why did tariffs drop to 18%? The

forced concession

Publicly he said :

"Modi is my dear friend".

But the numbers tell another 

story :

Base tariff on India - 25%

Secondary tariff due to Russian oil

- another 25%

* Total = 50%

India reduced Russian oil imports.

Didn't stop completely.

so one 25% layer was removed.

The remaining 25% was brought

down to 18%.

This wasn't friendship.

This was economic submission

under compulsion.

The US couldn't afford to lose

India as an alternative to China.

Russian Oil - The Grand

Deception

Numbers don't lie.

But political narratives do.

2022 : 50,000 barrels/day

2024 : 1.8 million barrels/day

Now : 1.2 million barrels/day

Lower than 2024.

But still massively higher than

2022.

India refines this oil

into diesel and jet fuel

and sells it back to Europe.

Not a double game. A multi-layered

survival strategy.

Why did the market dance?

The blood flow effect.

Stock markets don't run on 

patriotism.

They don't run on sentiments.

They run on cash flow.

USA means :

Dollar flows.

FII money.

Hedge funds.

The moment a deal signal came

Nifty +600

IT - Jobs - Loans - Real Estate

- Cement, Steel.

This isn't just growth.

This is a controlled economic chain

reaction.

Russia - The Economic Dead End

Russia is a friend.

But not a market.

Trade : $70 B

India buys : $65 B

Russia buys : $5 B

Money doesn't circulate back.

Spending power is limited.

The stock market doesn't need 

friendship.

It needs liquidity.

A pawn in the game Pakistan -

The Disposable Asset

Pakistan faces - 19% tariffs.

India faces 18%.

The same leader who once said

"Pakistan is my friend" has now

signed a deal with India.

In politics, trust is not currency.

Leverage is.

Pakistan doesn't have it.

Final Shot

The House always wins

India didn't fight loudly. Didn't beg.

wasn't submissive.

It engaged Europe.

Built routes through Canada.

Turned economic leverage into a

weapon.

Trump stepped back.

Modi gained ground.

But this is not the end.

This is just the first bloodstain in

the global trade war.

The house always wins.

This time...the house is India.

Courtesy.

What'sApp

Tailpiece.

A quiet Thursday, in the literal sense thanks to the Bharat bandh called by the leftist Trade Unions. Saw one of their leaders grinning shamelessly on evening television saying, "The bandh was a great success".

"For having given discomfort, hardship and suffering to their fellow citizens?"

 

 

 

Sudden spike in HIV cases.

Health authorities in West Bengal's East Bardhaman district have reported a recent increase in HIV infections. Officials noted that individuals from diverse professional and educational backgrounds have been hit, underscoring that HIV transmission can occur across all sections of society.

Alarm over recent cases

* 90 HIV cases reported in East Bardhaman, including 30 in in Bardhaman town

* Most affected are educated and professionally established people

* Spread linked to homosexuality, unprotected sex and social media contacts

* Cases include doctors, professors, teachers, corporate officials

Key reasons 

* Lack of awareness. Misconceptions about HIV/AIDS persist among the educated sections of society

* Social media misuse. Unsafe contacts formed through digital platforms

* Avoiding medical check-ups due to stigma and fear of embarrassment

My take

A very dire situation!

Tailpiece.

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

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked within the house; recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch. Watched "snehakkoottu" followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

Back at The Quarterdeck.

Reached home by a quarter past 1. Quickly sent back our sa'arthi so that he could board the earliest bus back to Kottarakkara. Gave his daughter a gift for her birthday the day after. 

Did the unpacking partially and by the time we hit the sack it was a quarter to 2.

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

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked in the house; recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast.

Lekha and I had gone to town. She bought grocery, vegetables and fruits. I'd gone across to the ICICI and SBI banks to correct the settings. Returned about an hour later, Lekha was already back in by then.

Lunch; watched our serial followed by siesta. 

Went across to Jimmy and got his medical advice.

A quiet evening thereafter.

Return to Guruvayur.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages and turned off to sleep yet again. Got up at 7, went through our chores and were ready by 9. Had breakfast at the Coffee Shop, inquired about the feasibility of going for a good Malayalam movie in one of the nearby cinemas but nothing wasn’t forthcoming.

We’d resigned to waiting for our Chevy to reach us by 1500 hrs, as promised by Monish, our sa’arthi for the journey. In the meanwhile, the hotel allowed us to use the room till 2.

Had a lovely lunch on payment and we began our long wait as the Chevy and Monish reached us by 5 and we began our return soon after.

Tea and snack were at Karunagappalli and we resumed our journey. Dinner was at Aaryaas near Mallan’s kitchen, around a half past 8.

We were on the road to Guruvayur as the clock struck midnight.

At Kollam (2).

Got up at 5, sent all the messages and turned off to sleep all over again. Got up at 7, went through the chores, recited my prayers.

Went down to the restaurant to have the complimentary breakfast. 

Helped Lekha with her saree and we were taken by Lekshmy's relatives, Girish and Sudha, to the Sarada Auditorium. Mukund and Devika tied the knot sometime between a half past 12 and 1. We wished the couple a long and happy married life, clicked a couple of photographs with them. Had the sadya, felt bad that I wasted some side dishes!

Aby dropped us back at the hotel and siesta followed.

Got up at 4, went through our chores and we reached Youhan's Auditorium for the wedding reception at a half past 6. Helped Lekha with her evening saree, too!

It was a beautiful setting. Wished and blessed Mukund and Devika, yet again; they've agreed to call on us at Guruvayur before Mukund returns to his workplace, abroad on 15 Mar.

The dinner was nice.

We left for our hotel by a quarter to 9. It was Aby, who was our sa'arthi, yet again.

A quiet evening, thereafter!

 

At Kollam.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, lit up the puja room lamp, didn't open up the house as the house was shut down last evening.

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked within the house: recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast. 

Kicked off from home at 10, returned to pick up our Aadhaar Cards and resumed our journey.

Took the NH 544 route via Ernakulam: it was a grave mistake. There was a series of traffic blocks all through. Took eight hours to reach Lekshmi's house at Kollam.

Had lunch at Salkara at the airport turn junction. The food was nice.

Met up with Aniyan's and Lekshmi's relations.

Had dinner and were dropped at the Sea Palace Hotel.

Slept at our usual time.

You won't believe.....

What India feeds the world....

   1. Rice                                         largest producer.

   2. Wheat                                      second largest producer.

   3. Sugarcane                                second largest producer.

   4. Millets                                     largest producer.

   5. Pulses                                      largest producer.

   6. Spices                                      largest producer and exporter.

   7. Tea                                           second largest producer.

   8. Bananas                                   largest producer.

   9. Mangoes                                  largest producer.

 10. Coconut                                   second largest producer.

 11. Ginger                                      second largest producer.

 12. Onion                                       second largest producer.

 13. Garlic                                       second largest producer.

 14. Tomatoes                                  second largest producer.

 15. Potatoes                                    second largest producer.

 16. Milk                                          largest in population

 17. Goats and buffaloes                  largest in population.

 18. Cattle                                        largest in population.

 19. Fruits and vegetables                second largest producer.

Tailpiece.

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

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked within the house; recited my prayers.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, watched television followed by siesta.

Shut down The Quarterdeck systematically.

A quiet evening.

The annual medical review.

Last year, on this date, I had undergone an open heart surgery and today, I was back at the AIMS, Kochi for the first annual review.

The day had started at 4 for us. We went about our chores and were ready by 6 when Kannan, our chauffeur for the day, was at the gate and we cast off by a quarter past 6. The Kodungalloor route was chosen but the traffic was very heavy indeed and we could reach the AIMS only by a 10' to 9. 

There was a lot of time wasted in the procedural work at the reception and there were a lot of patients waiting to go through the registration formalities. The civilians manning the booths do not apply their minds many-a time and ESMs go through insufferable delays at the reception counter!

Rema and Padmakumar were there an hour before us, as I'd said that we'd fetch up by 8! Their presence was a great help to go through the formalities. We were at the CVTS by a half past 9 and went about the various tests that I was supposed to go through before meeting up with the doctor.

While Rema, Lekha and Kannan went to have their breakfast, within the hospital in one of the many cafes, the lab nursing staff drew my blood samples and then, I went through the ECG. In the meanwhile, I'd a quick bite of breakfast of an egg sandwich, which the girls had picked up for me. I, then, went through the rigmarole of the x-ray of my chest. The Echo was done last and armed with the results of all these tests, met cardiologist Rajesh Jose around a quarter past 1.

The clinical readings classified me as completely fit, said the doctor and my next review was to be a year later. Picked up the medicines from the pharmacy for 3 months, had lunch at the AIMS canteen and commenced our return.

Dropped Rema and Padmakumar at Edappalli as they had plans to do a bit of shopping at the Lulu Mall.

We reached The Quarterdeck by a half past 5. After the evening's wash and change, Lekha had made crisp dosas and coconut chutney for dinner.  

A tiring day, of course but one more 'must do' item in the bucket list has been ticked off as done!

And this was my first @ 70 that didn't need a referral!  

PN Panicker Foundation's social care responsibility.

As part of the PN Panicker Foundation's social care responsibility, the distribution of sanitary napkins for schools, in various parts of the state, are being undertaken in a planned manner. 

Yesterday and today, under the stewardship of Sri N Balagopal, the Vice Chairman of the Foundation, the distribution of one lakh sanitary napkins each were distributed under the supervision of Sri Sadasivan, the Mayor of Kozhikode municipality at Chalappuram, Kozhikode and former Agriculture Minister VS Sunil Kumar at Chendrappinni in Thrissur. 

The schools were :-

   (a) Government Model Higher Secondary School, Chalappuram, Kozhikode            03 Feb

   (b) Chendrappinni Higher Secondary School, Thrissur                                               04 Feb

Through this activity, the Foundation endeavours to stress upon health literacy, skill development and empowerment of women.

Tailpiece.

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

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked within the house; recited my prayers.

Bath, followed by breakfast of appams and stew.

Worked on my laptop.

Lekha's beautician was on call.

Lunch, watched television followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

Palliative care.

1. Improves quality of life

2. Provides relief

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

4. Emotional and psychological support for patients and families

5. Provides clear communication and decision-making support

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

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

8. Support for caregivers, including counselling and respite

My take

An important aspect in today's world!

Tailpiece.

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

Morning cuppa with Lekha. 

Walked within the house; recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast of puri-bhaaji.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch. Watched serials on television.

Siesta.

The evening chores.

Union budget 2026.

Here are the highlights of the Union Budget 2026.

Infrastructure

7 high-speed rail corridors.

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

Environment

Backing clean energy

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

Agriculture

High-value crops

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

MSMEs

Rs.10K cr MSME growth fund

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

Healthcare

Medical tourism

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

Manufacturing

Rs.40K cr for semi-conductors

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

Education

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

My take

A strategic budget!

Tailpiece.

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

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked within the house; recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch and a delightful one at that!

Watched television followed by siesta.

To Dr Jimmy for review in the evening.

Pashupatinath Temple.

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

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

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

My take

Sambho Mahadeva!

Tailpiece.

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

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked within the house; recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast.

Worked om my laptop.

Snoozed around quite a bit.

Lunch, followed by siesta.

The evening chores.