Marry Now, Pay Later (MNPL)

Managing wedding expenses is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, worries of future couples. To ease their concerns, financial firms and wedding planners are promising them funds to finance their big day. 

Dubbed Marry Now, Pay Later (MNPL), the schemes are popular in the West and are gaining traction in Kerala. Essentially, a prospective couple can avail a loan from the firms or planners to cover the expenses and pay it as EMIs (equated monthly instalments).

This way, the younger generation can stick to their plan of having a grand wedding without blowing up the savings.

"Came to know of MNPL schemes when I approached a Pune-based wedding planner. My bank was charging 18% on personal loan, while the wedding planner offered Rs.5 lakhs at 12% interest. Though the returning window is shorter, the schemes are a blessing for those who can afford them", says Neethu Gireesh, an IT professional based at Kochi.

Salaried employees earning a minimum of Rs.2.4 lakhs per annum and having a good CIBIL score can avail the loans. If it is 750 or above, the rate of interest will be low. If it is 650, the rate will be higher.

And unlike personal loans which take at least 1-2 weeks to get through, marriage loan can be availed in three days with limited documentation.

Courtesy. Aishwarya Prabhakaran in the NIE

Tailpiece.

Got up around 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9. Meanwhile, Lekha had gone to the Guruvayur temple to have a darshan of the good Lord.

The maid had come for work. Bed linen were changed and washing machinex was carried out of the soiled clothes.

Off to Thrissur to complete the pending work at 1 and returned by 4. 

Crime and punishment.

28 Jul    Ashfaq Alam abducts the girl from her house in Choornikkara. He takes her to a place behind 

              the Aluva market, where she's raped and murdered.

29 Jul     Police record Alam's arrest. They recover the girl's body.

01 Sep    Police file chargesheet at Additional District and Sessions Court against Alam.

03 Oct    Trial begins.

04 Nov   Court finds Alam guilty of 16 offences.

14 Nov   Court sentences Alam to death.

My take

The common man's hopes on the judiciary have been raised since he has seen that justice can be delivered within a reasonable period of time! The cynic in me, however, has one doubt : was this possible because the convict was a migrant worker and had no one to back him, the seriousness of his crime notwithstanding.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9.

My course mate and friend, Parrat had called up and we'd a long chat. Will be meeting him during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of the NDA during mid-Jan '24.

A quiet Wednesday.

This day in 1962.

While India is celebrating Children's Day, here is another day that is forgotten in history.....

The Battle of Walong

This day in 1962....the only attack by the Indian Army was launched.....as a birthday gift from a general to a PM? A heavy price was paid by the Kumaonis that night!

Denied even 1 day to prepare for the attack, they went in as ordered.

Out of the over 200 men that had gone into the attack, only 90 returned.

That very night, the Chinese returned the compliment - attacking the positions Kumaonis had occupied only a day earlier. Yet, the now depleted defenders repelled this attack, inflicting heavy casualties on the PLA.

Before the 2nd attack, 4 Dogra reinforced them, having broken through blocking positions established by the Chinese.

A 2nd attack too was repulsed but the position fell on the morning of 16 Nov 1962, in the 3rd attack.

6 Kumaon won 5 Vir Chakras on this single day.

6 Kumaon ended the war with 400+ casualties, including fatal, injured and PoW - more than half the battalion strength.

Also, stubbornly holding on to their land in Walong.

At Walong, troops lacked everything but guts. 

"6 Kumaon at tri-junction fought, fought and fought till there was nothing left, after that there was an eerie silence".

My take

Karrmatth veeron ko namann!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9.

The Eureka Forbes service rep had come by and replaced the old machine with the new one.

Lekha had gone to town to get a few urgent work done.

A quiet evening.

How 'bimaru' is Bihar?

Just taking one indicator into consideration! State of Education.

* 6.47% people in Bihar are graduates

* 22.67% studied up to classes 1-5, 14.37% up to classes 6-8, 14.71% up to classes 9-10,

   9.19% cleared higher secondary, 0.58% have done diplomas or trained in ITIs

* 0.82% are post graduates

* 0.07% have PhDs or are chartered accountants (CA)

* 14.54% of those in the general category are graduates. That includes general, engineering and                 medical graduates.

* 9.14% of backward castes, 4.44% of economically backward class, 3.12% scheduled castes, 3.53%

   scheduled tribes are graduates

* In the general category, 32.49% of Kayasthas are graduates followed by 19.34% Bhumihars, 18.18%

   Brahmins and 16.46% Rajputs

* Among OBCs, Kurmis have the highest percentage of graduates (10.44%) while the corresponding       for Yadavs is 5.69%

* 22.21% Christians, who are counted as the BCs, are graduates

* 31.16% have no formal education

* 1.15% (15,08,085 people) have their own laptops with regular internet connection. Within SCs 

   3.7% (95,490) have laptops with internet.

My take

Statistics doesn't lie!

Tailpiece.

Got up at a trifle before 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9.

Rema, Achu and Karthika went for darshan at Guruvayur at a half past 8.

They left for Thrippunithura by a half past 1.

The usual evening chores. 

 

On the occasion of Deepavali.

Today is Deepavali - the Festival of Lights. The day Lord Rama had returned to Ayodhya after his victory over Ravana!

In the heart of the night, a glimmering sight,

Deepavali's festival, a beacon of light.

A celebration of hope, a triumph over despair,

In the sparkling lights, we find love in the air.

The diyas are lit, the sky with fireworks blaze,

As we honour Lord Rama in myriad ways

Victory of good over evil, a tale so profound,

In every heart and home, its essence is found.

Families unite, with laughter and cheer,

Sweets and treats to share, and the ones we hold dear.

The festival of lights, a radiant display,

Wishing you a Happy Deepavali, in every way!

Tailpiece.

Got up at a half past 5 along with Lekha, the chores and was ready by 9.

Sajeesh came by on the dot and by a quarter past 9, we were off to Tirur and reached Thrikkandiyoor by a half past 9. It was nice to be with Asokan and Preetha, their sons, Govind and Sanath. Met a lot of people.

Returned to The Quarterdeck by a half past 4, after buying fruits and crackers.

Rema, Achu and Karthika had come in by a half past 8 by the Kannur Deluxe. Burst crackers after their arrival.

Climate Refuge in landmark pact.

Tuvalu is a nation of nine coral islands nestled in the South Pacific. It has been defined by the United Nations as "extremely vulnerable" to the effects of climate change, with most of its landmass level less than five metres above sea level.

Most of it is predicted to be underwater - at least some of the time - by 2100. Around 40% of the main atoll, Funafuti already gets submerged during periodic "king" tides that wash away taro and cassava which were the islands' staple crops.

Two of the atolls represented on its flag of 11 stars have already disappeared.

Citizens will have the right to live in Australia under a landmark pact unveiled yesterday - an offer of refuge as their Pacific homeland is lost beneath the seas.

Live and work in Australia

Tuvalu citizens would be able to "live, study and work" in Australia. Tuvalu has a population of 11,000.

Australia's Geopolitical Win

The pact will be seen as a significant strategic win for Australia, which is competing with China for influence in the region.

The treaty also commits Australia to defending Tuvalu in the face of natural disasters, health pandemics and "military aggressions". And it offers Australia a say in any defence pact Tuvalu signs with other countries.

My take

This is what I'd term as a "meaningful and supportive" pact!

Tailpiece.

Got up at a trifle past 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9.

A quiet Saturday!

The evening chores, wound up a trifle early to take on a long day, tomorrow!

 

  

Gaza's India connection.

World War I Indian graves in Gaza. The genesis of  today's conflict is a mosque guarded by a lone Indian soldier. 

In the thick of fighting between Israel and Hamas, there lies a small cemetery cared by Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC).

The cemetery has graves of 50 Indian soldiers who fought against the Ottoman army to liberate what is now called Israel (Battle of Haifa, 1918).

Ever since Hamas has taken over Gaza in 2007, it's been shelled multiple times, over 300 grave stones have been damaged. The present condition of this cemetery is not known.

Over 1,50,000 Indians had fought as part of Egyptian expeditionary forces in Egypt and Israel, they played a major part in winning the Battle of Haifa.

Out of a total of 3,961 graves, there are 50 marking Indians.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a trifle before 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9.

The maid had come for work.

The new Aquaguard machine was dropped by the courier.