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.

The art of letting go.

Letting go is often misunderstood as emotional withdrawal. In spiritual traditions, detachment does not mean indifference but freedom from clinging. Gautama Buddha taught that tanha (craving) is the root of suffering : when the mind insists that pain must vanish, it fights reality. The Bhagwad Gita advises acting without attachment, as the result is shaped by many forces beyond control.

Modern psychology echoes this. Studies on non-attachment and acceptance-based therapies show that over-attachment keeps stress circuits activated, while acceptance and psychological distancing reduce anxiety. Clinging narrows identity and makes loss feel like annihilation. But non-attachment allows one to care without being owned by it.

How to practice healthy non-attachment

* Notice when desire hardens into demand ("I must have this")

* Reframe it as preference ("I would like this but I can live without it")

* Allow emotions to arise without repeatedly replaying

* Commit to right action instead of guaranteed reward

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.

Sajish comes and gives me a haircut and massage.

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked within the house; recited my prayers.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, watched "Snehakkoottu" followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

Back @ The Quarterdeck.

Our day had begun at 4, this morning. Went through the chores, recited my prayers and were ready by 6 though we, finally, cast off at a quarter past 6. Recited my prayers.

'Matha thekaoed' at the Randalummodu Nagaraja kshetram, topped up Crazy from a petrol bunk after  giving the short shrift to the usual bunk as Monish gave us negative observations on the quality of fuel dispensed there.

Breakfast at the Annapurna in Ettumanoor; met Jayakumar, IAS and spoke to him.

We reached The Quarterdeck by 1, had a lovely, simple lunch made by the maid on Lekha's directions. Sent Monish before that.

Siesta.

The evening chores.

Watched the serials; finished our squaring up work.

PN Panicker's 117th birth anniversary (7).

Got up at 5, sent all the messages and turned off to sleep yet again. Maman came and woke us up by a quarter past 6 and I delayed our departure by 15'!

Anish had taken leave as Akhila's grandfather's - an ex-Armyman passed into the mist of time - funeral was to take place by 1100 hrs. With Rajannan and Chambu, the driving duties were well divided. 

Lunch with Monica (Commonwealth of Learning), her daughter, Viraalika, Dr Pankaj ji and Khushwinder Singh along with Aniyan, Chambu and our sa'arathi, Rekha. Father Mulamoottil and Tanya, too, had joined.

Reached Kanakakkunnu Palace by a quarter past 2.

The ezhuthukoottam with Satija was good.

The session on Community Radio Stations was well accepted.

Finally, Revenue Minister, GR Anil, gave away the prizes. Sister Sebin Fernandez, Ms. Greeshma and Ms. Anjana received their prizes.

Settled out of the group by paying Rs.1,000/- from my pocket.

It brought the curtains down on the weeklong PN Panicker 117th birth anniversary 

Left the venue by a half past 5. Earlier, Lekha and Subi had arrived by a trifle after 4.

Dinner at a trifle short of Vaalakom!

Reached Raj Nivas by 9 and went about our usual chores for the night and for taking off early morning at 6. The caretaker had bought all the stuff what Lekha had asked for.

PN Panicker's 117th birth anniversary (6).

After seeing that Pankaj Srivastava had his dinner, Chambu and I'd dropped him at his hotel and returned home by around a half past 12. 

Got up at 5, recited my prayers and went through my chores. Was ready well before 7 but two things delayed us viz. Maman wanted to be dropped at the office and Anish, the driver came late. We, finally, left by a 10' past 8 and reached KIMS by a half past 8. 

Collected my blood results for the doctor's perusal who had then directed me to the cardiologist for approval to stop the blood thinner, for three days, before the forthcoming endoscopy/colonoscopy that's gonna be done on me. 

Dr Bijulal gave us the okay and we, then, returned to the Foundation via Padma Cafe, behind the Secretariat, after quickly finishing our breakfast.

The endoscopy/colonoscopy has been tentatively fixed for the 26th. Three days prior, the blood thinner will be stopped.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch at La Bella, a small eatery nearby, was our destination where the food was nice.

Met our Chairman, discussed the new situation as Justice Devan Ramachandran has intimated his inability to grace the occasion as his mother has undergone a brain hemorrhage. Sad; we'll have to find a suitable replacement! 

A quiet evening thereafter.

PN Panicker's 117th birth anniversary (Day 5).

Got up at 5, sent all the messages and turned back to sleep yet again to get up at a quarter past 7. Went through the chores, walked within the house and recited my prayers. Left for the Foundation by a quarter past 10.

Worked on the laptop; no response from the principal sahiba.

Lunch at the PWD Rest House canteen. It was nice.

To the KIMS Hospital to show myself to the gastro enterologist, Ajith Nair regarding my discomfort. The appointment was fixed up by Maman through the PRO for 1550 hrs.

Blood test was carried out to identify 'tumour fundamentals' (if any) and I'm to meet him at 8 AM tomorrow morning with the results. Am sure that things will fall in place, then.

Consequently, missed Anwar Sadaat's lecture on AI.

Reached home by a 10' past 7.

A quiet evening as I wound up for the day.

To the airport to pick up Dr Pankaj Srivastava, who's an invitee for our program at 2130 hrs. Since he hadn't had dinner, bought him dinner from Zam Zam and left him at the hotel. Took on an additional commitment.

By the time we hit the sack, it was past midnight. Phew! 

PN Panicker's 117th birthday celebrations (Day 4).

Got up at 5, sent all the messages and went through the chores. Walked within the house and recited my prayers.

Went to the Foundation by a quarter to 10.

Did my work on the laptop.

Went to the Holy Angels' Convent Higher Secondary School, Cotton Hill Girls' Higher Secondary School and the Carmel Convent Higher Secondary School to invite their Principals for the award ceremony on the 7th. Sister Sebi Fernandez, Mrs Greeshma and Mrs Anjana are the Principals.

Had lunch at the Gandhi Bhavan with Chambu.

The evening talk was on AI by Achut Shankar, the late Kerala University Vice Chancellor Dr VK Sukumaran Nair's son. Nicely articulated and well explained!

Secured at 1930 hrs.

At Ernakulam!

Got up at 5, sent all the messages and lazed on bed.

Got through the chores and was ready by 10 when Sunil from Sudhakaran's taxis came by. Off to the nearby Saravana Bhavan for breakfast. And to the reservation counter at Ernakulam junction to get bookings done for our evening journey.

To the Maharaja's College to tie up all the loose ends and it was good that we did it.

Met Justice Devan Ramachandran to give him the formal invitation for our program on the 7th at the Kanakakkunnu Palace.

Back at the Maharaja's College ground; positioned the Science Exploratory and commenced our program on the dot at 3 PM. It was nice with Jolly sir of the Chemistry department the Principal-in-charge for the day.  It was great interacting with the students of the Maharajah's College on "Saying no to drugs". 

Return by the Jana Shatabdi that was 25' late but reached by a half past 9. Sunil helped us with our luggage to the entrance where Ammayi and Chambu were waiting with the car.

A quiet evening!

At Aluva,

Dateline 02 Mar

Got up at 4, the chores and was ready well in time. We were off to the railway station by 6 and cast off from Thiruvananthapuram at a 25' past 6. We'd about six chirpy girls for company!

Aljaziya, Ashna and Ashwath - all girls pursuing nursing and headed for Coimbatore, where Aljaziya was writing a public examination. Arunima and Neelima were going to Palakkad, to write the psc examinations. They clicked photos with us.

Got off at Aluva, changed our clothes at the a/c waiting hall on the platform and had lunch at the vegetarian refreshment room. 

Hired a cab, went across to the Federal Bank Headquarters to meet up with Mr C Damodaran, its Executive Vice President. Had a long and friendly chat!

Antony, then, took us to the UC College. It was a great interaction with the Principal, staff and the others on our campaign "Say no to drugs" with the students of the UC College, Aluva though the strength was drastically reduced thanks to the ongoing students' strike!

Dr Mini Alice, The Principal, Dr Anmol Jos, NSS Program Officer, and Saiji Jolly Moothedan, Chairperson, Aluva Municipality were there along with Mr C Damodaran.

The program covered "Taking science to the masses" and saying "No to drugs" against the backdrop of our Science exploratory with Bijumon sir and Rajan in attendance.

Took up a room at Hotel Green Land.

Dinner at the Ceylon bake House. Relived memories!

PN Panicker's 117th birthday celebrations begin.

• Got up at 5, the chores and was ready by 7. Chambu drove us to Poojappura. About 70 people had conglomerated. Our family was minus Aniyan and Manikkutty, Aaromal. It was nice to see the entire family!

The Education Minister and the Mayor didn't fetch up! PJ Kurien, Pannian Ravindran, Palode Ravi, M Vijayakumar were in attendance. The customary lighting of the lamp and the floral tribute were carried; on completion, packed breakfast and bottled water were served.

Returned to Maman's house to relieve Rajannan.

Took Maman, Ammayi and Chambu to the City Palace for Fish curry meals. Giri, from Guruvayur, was the lone server and there was quite a bit of delay!

Returned and ducked off for siesta.

Meanwhile, the net was re-energised. Phew!

A quiet evening!

At Thiruvananthapuram.

Dateline 28 Feb

We'd got up at 5, went through the chores and were ready well in time. Subi had come with his vehicle by a quarter past 8, was given breakfast of idlis and both Lekha and I set off - Lekha to the Kottarakkara Maha Ganapati kshetram in Kunjumon's autorickshaw to meet up with Mini and I, toward Thiruvananthapuram in Subi's SUV. 

The time was about a quarter to 9.

Reached the PN Panicker Foundation by a 10' to 11. Met all our staff and spoke to each; Maman was away at a meeting.

Sent my February mail by 1241 hrs.

Lunch of Malabar parathas.

Attended the evening's 'Aazhchakkoottam'; the strength was too less but the matter and the interactions were interesting!

Massive thundershowers!

Met Gopu, Suma kunjamma of the family.

We were at Maman's place by a half past 7. A quiet evening.

Aniyan isn't well; down with a viral fever!

Preparations for tomorrow is complete.

At Raj Nivas.

The day began at 4 for us, went through our chores and were ready by 6. We kicked off from The Quarterdeck at a quarter past 6. Kannan took the NH 544 route and thankfully, we didn't come across any traffic snarls and steered a steady course.

Breakfast was at a Saravana Bhavan at Muvattupuzha. From there, barring the wiper motor's problem, we had a peaceful journey. Changed the wipers at Koothaattukulam and we resumed our journey. There were showers at various places but it was nothing to worry about.

Lunch was the Padma Cafe at Pandalam and it was nice.

Reached Kottarakkara around a half past 2, sent Kannan back on his return and drove the remaining 10 km to Raj Nivas. Got our staying arrangements streamlined, had the television energised and went for siesta.

Evening tea by Lekha, spoke to mom and dad about our program and we went to Suresh's house to offer our condolences on Rajamma chechi's passing away. Prayed at her cremation spot as well as Manian Pillai's! Interacted with all of them!!

Returned after about an hour and a half; were happy after having spent time with the family for the sake of Rajamma chechi!

A quiet evening. Had Malabar parathas and an egg omelette for dinner which was nice!

Slept at our usual time.

When a President lies....

Trump's false and misleading claims at his State of the Union address, seeking to reverse dismal polls and see off mounting challenges at home and abroad ahead of crucial midterm elections.

The Economy

Claim. "When I last spoke in this chamber 12 months ago, I had just inherited a nation in crisis, with a stagnant economy".

The fact. The US gross domestic  product rose 2.8% in 2024 after adjusting for inflation. That's a stronger pace of growth than the 2.2% achieved last year during the start of Trump's second term.

Investment

Claim. "I secured commitments for more than $18 trillion pouring in from all over the globe".

The fact. The White House website offers a far lower number, $9.6 trillion.

Jobs

Claim. "More Americans are working today than at any time in the history of our country". 

The fact. The unemployment rate is a low 4.3% but was lower when Biden left office  in Jan 2025, at 4%.

Foreign wars

Claim. "My first 10 months I ended eight wars".

The fact. Although he has helped mediate relations among many nations, his impact isn't as clear-cut as he makes it seem.

Tariffs

Claim. "Tariff revenues are saving our country, the kind of money we're taking in".

The fact. The Congressional Budget Office estimated his new taxes would raise $3 trillion over 10 years. That's not enough to cover the cost of his $4.7 trillion in tax cuts.

Immigration

Claim. "We'll always allow people to come in legally, people that will love our country and will work hard".

The fact. Trump has actually taken steps to restrict who can emigrate to the US, often in the name of protecting national security.

My take

How can a President, who's supposed to be the icon for his countrymen, get off with such outright lies? Shame on you, President Trump!

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. Got the house ready for the interior painting of the top inner roof. Ranjith did it in the afternoon while Suresh did the frontage.

Bath, followed by breakfast of bread and egg roast.

Lekha had gone to the gas agency to find out as to why the new gas cylinder was taking time to come by ; the delivery boy was sick for the past week.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, watched "Snehakkoottu" followed by siesta.

Lekha goes to the temple to have a darshan of the good Lord as it's gonna be the annual festival commencing on the 28th.

Ribi's boys secured by a half past 5. The maid washed down our car.

Packing covered after everyone had left.

Nationwide HPV drive for U-14 girls to prevent cervical cancer.

In a major step toward eliminating preventable cancers among women, the government will soon launch a 'human papilloma virus' (HPV) vaccination program.

The program directed at girls under 14 years, will use a single-shot Gardasil, a quadrivalent HPV vaccine that provides protection against HPV types 16 and 18, which cause cervical cancer, as well as types 6 and 11. It is in line with WHO proposals, which identify HPV vax as a pillar of Global Strategy to eliminate cervical cancer.

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.

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

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Ribi's workers - Suresh and Ranjith - commenced their work.

Walked within the house; recited my prayers.

Bath, followed by breakfast of upma.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, watched "Snehakkoottu", followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

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.