The Afghan embassy in Delhi.

Five days after former Ambassador of Afghanistan in India claimed that their embassy in Delhi was closed permanently, Afghanistan's political deputy of Foreign Affairs said yesterday that the embassy will continue to function as usual.

He had said this in an interview on Afghanistan's national television. They were in contact with the MEA while the Afghan consulates in Bombay and Hyderabad were active. India has not yet recognised the Taliban government. 

The Consul General of Bombay, Ms Zakia Wardak, has been overseeing the functioning of the embassy in Delhi. Past diplomats of the Afghan embassy have sought asylum in other countries which is one of the main reasons for the Afghan embassy to be in a state of disarray. 

She has confirmed that it would be business as usual, with her office providing necessary directives from time to time.

My take

What a sad state of affairs? Wonder when the Taliban steps down and lets a mature leadership to take over the reins of the country?

Tailpiece.

Got up at a half past 5, the chores and was ready by 10.

Sent my monthly mail to the group.

A quiet Thursday.

India's big opportunity.

India's bid to attract foreign capital just received a shot in the arm. Foxconn announced in an exchange filling that it will invest $1.6 billion on several projects in India. Though the details aren't known, the funds are for 'operational' needs, possibly to set up two factories in Karnataka for the manufacture and assembly of iPhones.

This is one among many examples where Foxconn, also known as Hon Hai. and other Taiwanese manufacturers are continuing to exit China in preference for countries such as India, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. Big US multinationals have also announced they are diversifying their investments. Intel and Microsoft are moving some operations from China to the US. Nike and Dell said they will relocate to Vietnam and Mexico.

There is a growing disenchantment with China. The political climate under Xi Jinping has turned increasingly nationalistic and unstable. Their post-pandemic rebound has been tepid because of a real estate slump and growing local government debt. The uncertainty has pushed Chinese families to save rather than spend, thereby depressing demand. 

India seems to have had a good start. Creating a stampede of investors will now depend on two factors - whether we can reduce red tape and how quickly we can provide the necessary infrastructure.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 20' to 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

Went for the matinee show of 'Kaathal' starring Mammootty and Jyothika. It's good. Talks about the tumultous family life of Mathew, who's gay and Omana, who's normal.

The evening chores.   

With the 3rd drydock, CSL will become a ship-repair hub.

The Rs.1,799 cr drydock, with a 100 year design life, will be among the largest in the country. To be readied for ops by Jun 2024.

What is a drydock?

A drydock is an enclosed basin that can be flooded to allow a ship to be floated in, followed by locking shut the entrance gate and then drained to allow that ship to come to rest on a dry platform. This functionality makes drydocks the most precious asset of any shipyard that deals with building as well as repairing of large ships.

Highlights of the drydock

* Can hold 242 mn litres of water which is more than the capacity 96 Olympic-size swimming pools.

* 70,000 MT of steel forms were used, which is almost 9.5 times the quantity of steel used for construction of the Eiffel Tower.

* About 7.2 lakh tonnes of concrete used in construction, which is 1.25 times the concrete used in the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.

* About 5,000 RCC piles with diameters ranging from 600 mm to 1,200 mm were installed, which is almost 26 times the number of piles installed in Burj Khalifa.

* About 5,50,000 cum of excavated material disposed off at sea.

* Cost Rs.1,799 cr

* Design life 100 yrs.

* Dimensions 310 m x 75/60 m x 13 m.

* Draught 9.5 m

Key features 

* Stepped layout to accommodate large and wide vessels

* Can take specialised and technologically advanced vessels

* Can handle vessels up to 70,000 tons docking displacement

*Apart from the 600-ton gantry crane, it also has two jib cranes of 75 ton and 45 ton capacity

Gantry crane

* The new drydock will be equipped with a gantry crane of 600-ton lifting capacity, which makes it the biggest when compared with the existing cranes of the yard. The crane has a span of 134 m and maximum height of 81 m. It is equipped with an upper trolley with two 300-ton hooks and a lower trolley with one 400-ton hook. Total weight of the crane is 3,667 tons.

* Contract for turnkey supply, design, manufacture, transport, installation, erection, testing and commissioning of gantry crane was issued to South Korea's Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries.

* Crane components were dispatched from South Korea on 17 Sep 2023 and the vessel arrived at CSL on 09 Oct 2023. Hyundai Samho will complete installation and commissioning of crane, which will be ready for operation at CSL's new drydock by May 2024.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a half past 5, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

The maid was at work today. She cleared up the 'diyas' post Karthika celebrations.

A quiet Tuesday otherwise.

1st dark sky reserve in Eastern Ladakh.

Eastern Ladakh will soon have South East Asia's first night sky sanctuary. 

The sanctuary was being set with the help of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore, which is affiliated to the Department of Science and Technology under the GoI. It will be the 15th or 16th of its kind in the world, will fascinate star gazers.

Accordingly, a tripartite MoU was signed  between the Ladakh administration, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh and the Indian Institute of Astrophysics for launching the Dark Sky Reserve. The site will have activities to help boost local tourism and economy through interventions of Science and Technology.

The Dark Sky Reserve will be located at Hanle village in Eastern Ladakh as a part of Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary spread over 1,073 square kilometres and it is located adjacent to the Indian Astronomical Observatory, the second highest optical telescope in the world at an elevation of 4,500 mts.

GI-tagged treasures of Ladakh, including sea buckthorn, Raktsey Karpo apricots, Ladakh wood carvings and Pashmina wool are being showcased in the "Ladakh's Pride' exhibition, that's currently on. 'Leh Berry', an exclusive food product of the cold desert, the commercial cultivation of medicinal plants at a height of above 15,000 ft are being promoted. "Sanjeevani Booti', locally known as 'sola' is included.

Courtesy. Mayank Singh in the NIE

Tailpiece.

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

Selvam had come by for pressing clothes. Gave him 5 Grand on account of his son, Raja's, wedding.

Collected my reading glasses from the clinic.

26/11

It has been 15 years since the 26/11 terrorist attack took place in Bombay. Every year we keep remembering the martyrs, the victims and the enormous sadness that the deadly incident had imposed on the country.

There are so many things left unanswered even to this day. Let me try to list them as to what they are :-

  

  1. What are the investigating agencies doing regarding the solving of the entire terror attack? 

  2. Who was the mastermind behind it? 

  3. When and where was the script of the attack planned?

  4. Why were the decision-making bureaucrats of the Home Ministry in the hill station of Murree in

      Pakistan when the attack was on?

  5. Why was Kasab - the terrorist caught live - with a Hindu identity? Identifying documents and           

      saffron threads around his wrist et all!

  6. Why was Barkha Datt allowed to cover the ghastly events taking place within the Taj Mahal Hotel

      live, especially after it has now been established that the Pakistanis knew the exact positions and

      numbers of commandos, security forces in the innards of the hotel?

  7. Why was Barkha Datt given unrestricted access to our forward posts at Kargil by which the exact

      positions of our gallant soldiers were compromised? To cite an example, Captain Vikram Batra, the

      hero of Tololing Point was killed by enemy attack within 24 hrs of his interview with the journalist

      in his bunker? (The positions were passed on through the satellite telephones to the masters who

      had, then, passed on the information to their minions on the ground).

  8. Why hasn't P Chidambaram, the Home Minister at that time, not issued a complete information 

      regarding the whole affair?  

  9. Why hasn't the journalist, Barkha Datt, been taken up for interrogation for her lapses?

Here are just a few that I can think of. I'm sure there must be many more that might have slipped my mind.

My salutes to the brave hearts, tears and prayers!

My take

The investigation needs a closure, the details of the findings be brought to the public and the culprits be brought to book, forthwith. Enough of dithering has taken place till now!

Tailpiece.

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

A quiet Sunday.

Was registered in the Indian Oil - Adani piped gas distribution system that's gonna come in this neighbourhood over the next six months. 

Interesting numbers about India.

Important numbers that describe today's vibrant India.

* Population                                          144 cr

* Aadhaar Card holders                       136 cr

* Internet users                                    120 cr

* Mobile subscribers                           114 cr

* Total enrolled voters                          98 cr

* E-commerce users                             80 cr

* Smartphone users                              65 cr

* OTT users                                          50 cr

* Social Media users                            40 cr

* UPI users                                           30 cr

* Food delivery platform users             28 cr

* BHIM Payment users                          20 cr

* Urban/Rural population                     37/63

* Digital Learning user                           9.3 cr

* E-Sanjeevani Healthcare                     9.3 cr

* Health Insurance cover                       51.4 cr

* Stock Market users                               8 cr

* Mutual Funds investors                        3.5 cr

My take

The statistics above gives us a fair idea as to where India is poised and gives us also an insight as to where we need to work hard to attain superpower status.

Tailpiece.

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

The maid comes for work.

A quiet Saturday. 

Tallest railway bridge in Manipur nears completion.

The construction work of the world's tallest railway bridge - the Noney Bridge - has crossed 80%. It's an engineering marvel, is being constructed at a height of 141 mts and is an integral part of the 111 km Jiribam-Imphal railway project. It's 703 mts long.

The construction of the railway project involves 55 

multiple tunnels which measure a total length of 61.32 km. The project will have 11 major bridges and 137 minor bridges.

The Jiribam-Imphal new railway line project is one of the crucial connectivity projects for the north-eastern region. The work is at an advanced stage and nearing completion, reports Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR).

The railway line project is poised to spur economic development in Manipur and the surrounding regions. The efficient transportation of goods and passengers via rail will reduce costs, enhance trade and encourage investment in industries and infrastructure. Additionally, it is likely to create new job opportunities and contribute to the overall prosperity of the region.

In June last year, at least 14 people were killed after a massive landslide flattened a railway construction camp in Noney district.

Noney bridge will reduce the travel time between Jiribam and Imphal from 12 to 2.5 hrs.

My take

Yet another milestone to integrate the NE to the mainland!

Tailpiece.

Got up at a 10' to 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter past 9.

Lekha had ordered for a Black Forrest cake and I cut it around 1200 hrs.

Messages and calls were flowing in continuously.