AI is taking its toll!

The AI storm is here and as feared, it is taking away jobs. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), India's largest IT services firm, plans to lay off 2% of its global workforce in line with the company's broader strategy to become 'future-ready'.

In absolute terms, 12,260 employees in the middle and the senior grades will lose jobs this year : TCS's workforce, as on 30 Jun, stood at 6,13, 069.

                 TCS workforce as on 30 Jun                   6,13,069

                 2% or 12,260 will be laid off this year

                 Middle and senior level employees to face axe

It includes strategic initiatives including investing in new technology areas, entering new markets, deploying AI at scale for clients and for the company, creating next-gen infra and realigning workforce model.

TCS promises to make all efforts to provide benefits, outplacement, counselling and support as they transition to new opportunities to the affected employees.

My take

A trend that increasingly gets visible as AI gets entrenched!

Tailpiece.

A quiet day. Lekha had gone to a new beauty parlour that has come up in Guruvayur. Sukesan, the autorickshaw driver, has turned over a new leaf after his treatment.  

Right speech in a noisy world.

In today's fast-paced world, practicing Right Speech is more important than ever. Social media, gossip and digital outrage have made idle and harmful speech commonplace. The Buddhist principle of Right Speech urges us to speak only when necessary, truthfully, kindly and in a way that benefits others.

As part of the Noble Eightfold Path, Right Speech (Samma Vaca) is not merely about refraining from lies, slander or harsh words, it is a form of mental discipline. According to the Sutta Pitaka, the Buddha instructed his disciples to avoid "false speech, malicious speech, harsh speech and idle chatter". He encouraged communication that is timely, factual and spoken with goodwill.

In a time when words can go viral within seconds, mindfulness in speech becomes a daily spiritual practice. Choosing silence over reaction, or empathy over sarcasm, is not weakness but wisdom. Thich Nhat Hanh, a modern Buddhist teacher, said, "Speak in such a way that others love to listen to you. Listen in such a way that others love to speak to you".

Right Speech is ultimately not just about what we say; it is about creating peace, one word at a time.

Tailpiece.

Tomorrow begins the second week of the Monsoon Session of Parliament. As usual, "sounds" have emanated from none other than the loudmouth, Donald Trump about the number of aircraft destroyed during Operation Sindoor sometime before the beginning of this session, setting a scene for the opposition to create ruckus and disrupt Parliament, all over again! 

A serious factor that can no longer be overlooked!

India's boundary with our immediate neighbours was always porous. Governments came and went, both at the centre and in the states. Migrants from neighbouring countries came in, wave after wave and no one seemed to care. The demography of the populations within changed drastically. The Rohingyas, the Bangladeshis, the Pakistanis, the Sri Lankan Tamilians came in on their free will and established themselves; almost all of them as Indian citizens!

They've been nurtured by various political parties as their 'vote banks'! This needed to be brought to a halt.

The Modi government brought in the the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) and the revision of the NRC (National Registry of Citizenship). The vested interests got into the act to prevent their effective enforcement - Shaheen Bagh type agitation and the Delhi riots played out their bit. In the end, Indian Democracy won.

The first comprehensive action by the central government was through the formulation of the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) in Assembly-poll-bound state of Bihar. The ECI (Election Commission of India) through the SIR - the opposition tried their hand at roping in the Supreme Court to thwart the efforts of the SIR which fell flat - made a mockery of the summary revision  of the poll rolls of Bihar published in January, this year.

The disclosure is alarming :-

    * Over 65.2 lakh names are out of Bihar poll roll. The breakdown is as follows :-

        Total number of registered voters              7.9 cr

        Dead                                                           22 lakhs

        Permanently migrated                                35 lakhs

        Registered at more than one place               7 lakhs

        Untraceable                                                  1.2 lakhs

The opposition, caught on the wrong foot, is now threatening to boycott the Assembly elections! The next target of the ECI is the u/t of Jammu and Kashmir followed by West Bengal. In the latter, left as it is, the goons of Mamata Banerjee will not allow it to happen for obvious reasons. The central government will have to deploy central security forces or clamp President's Rule in the state.

My take

What a monumental lie was being propagated thus far?! And mind you, all these illegal migrants, have managed to acquire Aadhaar Cards, Voter's ID Card through the connivance of their patrons.

Corrective action must be applied forthwith. If the collective opposition decides to boycott elections then let Nitish Kumar come back to power!

And what's the backdrop of the ADR (Association for Democratic Reforms)? Well, it's the usual naysayers within this country, funded and aided by the virulently anti-Modi/pro RaGa, Sorros!!

Tailpiece.

It's the 26th anniversary of the Kargil Vijay Diwas!

A thoroughly wet day, in fact, Thrissur is on Red Alert! 

India-UK Free Trade Deal.

0% duty on the following :-

     * Marine products

     * Arms and ammunition

     * Base metals

     * Chemicals and Minerals

     * Electrical machinery

     * Plastic/Rubber

     * Furniture/Sports goods

     * Gems and Jewellery

     * Headgear/Glass/Ceramic

     * Instruments/Clocks

     * Leather/Footwear

     * Wood/paper

     * Mechanical machinery

     * Textile/Clothing

     * Transport/Auto

     * Veggies, fruits, spices, cereals and oils

The takeaways

     * Indian farmers to get preferential access to UK's $37.5 billion agriculture market

     * Sensitive Indian sectors like dairy, vegetables, apples, cooking oils, oats fully protected

        under the deal

     * Big catch for Indian fishermen as the $5.4 billion British market opens for marine

        exports with zero duty as against up to 20% now

     * Big boost for UK job creation as labour intensive sectors get competitive edge

     * Zero duty on major sectors

     * Massive gain for rural India and exporters with zero duty on processed foods as against

        70% earlier

     * 75,000 Indian workers in UK will benefit from Double Contribution Convention, as it

        exempts workers from social security contribution for three years

     * Professionals to get better mobility access to the UK. Up to 1,800 Indian chefs, yoga

        instructors and classical musicians can move temporarily to Britain to provide services

My take

It's a win-win situation for both sides!

Tailpiece.

A quiet but wet day!

    

UN court's legal opinion but non-binding!

The International Court of Justice has said that affected countries can claim reparations but what they are owed could be determined on a case-by-case basis. 

In its first ever opinion on climate change, the ICJ said the consequences of climate change are far-reaching as they affect both natural ecosystems and human populations. "These consequences underscore the urgent and existential threat posed by climate change", said Judge Yuji Iwasawa while reading out the opinion, which is advisory in nature and non-binding.

Failure to protect planet a wrongful act

* Failure of a state to take appropriate action to protect the the climate system.....may constitute an 

   internationally wrongful act.

* After years of efforts by vulnerable island nations who fear they could disappear under rising sea

   waters, the UN General Assembly asked the top UN court in 2023 for an advisory opinion on

   climate change.

130 countries backed the case brought by the Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu.

Tailpiece.

A quiet but wet Thursday. It was also "Karkkidaka karutha vaavu bali".

 

My tryst with Kottayam.

Had got up at a 20' past 5, sent all the morning messages, switched on the morning hymns, lit up the puja room lamp, opened up the house. Went about my chores and was ready by a half past 9 and Kannan came by just then. We kicked off for Ettumanoor soon after.

It was rains all the way. had tea and snack short of Potta. Lunch was at Muvattupuzha at 2. Before that, could get the PUC certification done at Kalady!

Reached Ettumanoor at a half past 3, it was tricky to find the Nandavanam auditorium. Met Aravi maman, Radha mami, Rajan maman, Jagada mami, Renjith and his family. Renjith's son, Jagan is joining IIT, Dharwar on the 29th, the first to do so from our family.

Our programme started a half an hour late. Aniyan, too, was called on to the stage by both PGM and Rajeev, to impress me perhaps! Kept my inaugural speech to the minimum. Distribution of the prizes was an added responsibility! After the program and after bidding adieu to everyone, Aniyan took me to Ettumanoorappan and I'd a nice darshan of the good Lord.

So, the curtains were drawn on the Kottayam district 'Vaayana Maasaacharanam activities 2025' by 6. 

We'd our evening snack and tea at the corner shop. Saw Aniyan off and I returned for Guruvayur. Dinner was at Chalakkudi around a quarter past 9.

Reached home by a half past 11. A nice, short trip that I enjoyed.

The life and times of VS Achuthanandan!

Adieu comrade!

20 Oct 1923         Born in Paravur to Venthalathara Sankaran and Akkamma

            1927         Lost his mother to smallpox

            1934         Lost his father; discontinued studies in the 7th grade

            1939         Joined the state congress

   Mar  1940        Joined the communist party at the age of 17

             1946        Took part in Punnapra-Vayalar protest preparations; arrested by Poonjar police while

                             underground

             1948        Released from prison; went into hiding as the communist party was banned

             1952        Became Alappuzha division secretary of the communist party

             1954        Inducted into the party state committee

             1956        Appointed Alappuzha district secretary

             1959        Became a member of the communist party national council

             1962        Arrested during the India-China war on charges of being a 'Chinese spy': imprisoned

                             for a year

             1964        Walked out of the national council, co-founded the CPM

             1965        Contested Assembly elections from Ambalappuzha (lost)

1965 & 1970        Won from Ambalappuzha in Assembly elections

 18 Jun 1967        Married K Vasumathi

  1980 - 1991        Elected three terms as CPI (M) state secretary

             1986        Inducted into the CPM politburo

             1991        Elected from Mararikulam; became Leader of the Opposition in 1992

             1996        Lost Mararikulam seat

  1998 - 2001       Served as LDF convener

  2000 - 2016       Elected from Malampuzha constituency for four consecutive terms

  2006 - 2011       Served as chief minister of Kerala

03 Aug 2016       Served as Chairman, State Administrative Reforms Commission

             2019       Incapacitated following a stroke

  21 Jul 2025       Passed away at the age of 101 yrs

Om Shanti! Sadgati.

Tailpiece.

Fifty six years back, man landed on the Moon. Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin walked on the Moon after the landing of the Lunar Module from the mothership, Apollo 11 at the Sea of Tranquility on the Moon!