Korean Broadband Miracle vs. Indian Broadband Policy.

Rajesh Jain in his tech blog gives us a glimpse of the Korean broadband miracle via the Wall Street Journal.

Here, in India, we still await a broadband policy that was promised to us, first by August 13, 2004, then in the Budget Session of the parliament, and now, God knows when.

Same service, different pricing. And, we want more tourists!

The international and domestic airports in New Delhi now offer high speed Wi Fi Internet access courtesy Tata Teleservices. But, if you are at the domestic airport you pay half the price than what you pay at the international airport!

"...The service would be available at a cost of Rs 30 for 30 minutes at domestic airport and Rs 60 at international airport, Mr Naresh Malhan, Chief Operating Officer of Delhi circle said here. For a 60-minute surfing card, the charges are Rs 50 at domestic airport and Rs 100 at international airport..."

Wonder how Tata Teleservices and the Airports Authority of India explain the differential pricing.

Who will issue a ticket to the Delhi Police?

This required a separate blog by itself! So, check No Challans for the continuing traffic violations by our thullas.

Patriotism, the last refuge.

Dr Badri Raina has an excellent and must-read article in The Hindustan Times today.

"...So the question that has been asked several times in the last some years needs to be asked again: what is the relationship of the BJP and the RSS? Does the BJP subscribe to the tenets, views, principles regarding the Constitution, the national flag, Parliament, and the polity of the nation? Or does it dissociate its politics as a participant in India’s electoral, parliamentary, constitutional democracy from the perspectives that still inform the RSS and its many front organisations? How is it that while Uma Bharti today makes an issue of the national flag, she does not think of planting it first over the RSS headquarters at Nagpur on her way to Hubli. ..."

Fine print: Dr Raina is related to me.

Uma Bharti's love for the 'tiranga' is unbounded.

For a lady who is shouting about her beloved 'tiranga' from the roof-top, surely she can show a bit more respect to it than this news item in The Hindu on August 26, 2004 suggests.

Nationalism redefined.

Keeping quiet when the country's defence minister is strip searched is fine but "how dare you stop me from raising the national flag and getting people killed" is the BJP's version of national pride!

Some news on that elusive broadband policy at last!

Well, something to share on the elusive policy. ExpressIndia has a story from the Press Trust of India.

Who is the AIIMS flyover in New Delhi named after?

Take a guess guys...who else but the late Rajiv Gandhi! And, we already have the following Rajiv Gandhi place/institutes/buildings in Delhi:

• Rajiv Chowk, erstwhile Connaught Place. Thanks to Mani Shankar Aiyer for this.
• Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Hospital & Research Institute in Rohini, north Delhi
• Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan that houses the Ministry of Civil Aviation

Do we need one more?

Question to ponder: Wouldn't it have been better to honour a medicine man or woman while naming the AIIMS flyover? I mean, with all due respect to Rajiv Gandhi and his family, can't we look beyond these people and recognise the contribution of "lesser" citizens of the city?

Is the TRAI another toothless tiger?

Seems so from a "leak" of the much-awaited broadband policy in The Economic Times.

"To be, or not to be: that is the question" Vajpayee style.

Fourteen lines that I penned in response to the "Modi ko hatana chahiye tha" (I wanted Modi out) controversy featuring our very own Atal Behari Vajpayee. This post prompted by the recent comments from the Supreme Court of India on the Modi led Gujarat government:

Atal irade, nek vichar,
Manali mein chad gaya bukhar.

Modi ko hatana tha, hatake rahenge,
Gujarat ka dhabba mitake rahenge

Lekin sunta kaun hai, poochhta hai koi?
Advani, Venkaiah, Jaswant, Pramod, Arun, aur phir RSS se joojhta hai koi?

Vikas purush ki baat kisi ek ne na maani,
Saptah bhar mein baat hui purani.

So, ab chup ho jao aur phir dekho,
Agli chhuti mein koi aur paasa phenko.

Shayad chal jaye,
Baat ban jaye.

Nahin to keh do, "I have been misquoted."
Maine kaha kuchh aur tha, not as reported.

Now, pay for what we should be giving you free!

"Our airports are hopelessly inadequate. We are trying to provide an array of facilities for tourists to ensure that they have a pleasant experience in India," says India's Tourism Minister, Renuka Choudhury.

So, instead of getting airport staff to work and provide services that they draw their salaries for, the foreign traveller to India will have to pay to get "service with a smile" at Indian airports.

It happens only in India, as the song goes.

How long is a week?

"My Ministry is going to unveil the new broadband policy next week. It is going to be a customer-friendly broadband policy", Union Communication and IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran said at the launch of MTNL's certifying authority service on August 6, 2004.

Today, August 14, 2004 is eight days from the supposed unveiling of the policy but it is nowhere in sight. Perhaps the definition of a week is different for the minister.

My first post.

Well, here I am with my own blog spot.