Random Thoughts - Pattabhi Sitaraman

  The WHO deferring to the Chinese demand, gave a nomenclature to the deadly virus that originated in the city of Wuhan in China as n-COV-2019 or COVID in short for Corona Virus Disease.  The spread of the virus across the globe is something extraordinary in such a short time, more facilitated by people traveling from one place to another, one country to another and also not curtailing the travel when the symptoms of the disease started appearing in far off shores from the place of origin, is beyond belief.  As much column kilometers had been written about this in various forums, it serves no purpose to go through the same and it is not the aim of the author to recount the various measures adopted by different countries to fight the disease and the spread of the same.  Finally, it has been determined by the scientists in WHO that the virus spread mainly through air and the best antidote is to wear a mask covering the face and nose completely and also maintain social distancing; avoid c

It is reported in press that the Chief of Defense Staff, General Bipin Rawat has proposed some changes which affect the serving officers and their terms of commission into the armed forces.   First the age of retirement of the serving officers and men from that of the Colonel and equivalent ranks have been revised upwards by three years, effectively taking the retirement age to 57 instead of 54 as of now.  Likewise the retirement age of Brigadier or equivalent ranks is also proposed to be 58, Major General or equivalent ranks is revised to 59 with Lt. General or equivalent rank remaining 60 same as of now. The age of retirement of JCO and other ranks are also increased to 57 instead of the present 54.   The armed forces also have a statutory period of service which is governed by a contract between the individual and the armed forces, entered into at the time of the individual joining the academy for his training and education.  The normal duration of pensionable service which is contr

The modern day administration started with the advent of Europeans into the country sometime in the 15th or 16th Century CE when the Europeans who came for trading with India for its spices, silk, and various other produce, started usurping power and ruling in various pockets.  The British, who came to India brought with them their own idea of administration with a cabinet of ministers to help the viceroy (who was the senior most political person in the country and reporting only to the British monarch through the British parliament) and a plethora of administrators or bureaucrats who were selected based on an examination conducted and sent to England for training.  This service was called Indian Civil Service, ICS for short.  The people who were well qualified with a university education in various disciplines (there were only basic arts, mathmatics and science in those days) and who could speak English fluently were the ones who were selected in the examination for training.  The tra

The time frame in the ancient Vedic times was divided into four yugas comprising of Krita, Treta, Dvapara and Kali.  The least number of years is in Kaliyuga and the number of years is expected to be around 10% of the total years i.e. 4,320,000 years in all the four yugas.  These yugas are cyclical.  The cycle of the yugas for one thousand times is called Kalpa - Day for the Brahma - God of creation. In the night of Brahma, a pralayam, Tsunami or dissolving all that is created by Brahma including himself takes place.  In the next morning Brahma is reborn and starts his creation work again. Brahma, at the start of each cycle of the chaturyuga (meaning four yugas) designates a person as a Manu for that chaturyuga. E ach cycle of chathuryuga had its own manu starting from Svayambuva - the one who self manifested.  The manu formulates the rules and regulations for the humans to follow to live in harmony with nature and other living beings.  In the present chaturyuga, the Sun is designated

A well reputed wrestler, who had won many fights across the nation, was challenging the people in a small town to fight him and win a huge prize.  Seeing his muscular body and his prowess in wrestling no one dared to challenge him.  But the townspeople found it below their dignity to allow the fighter go unchallenged. Finally they settled on a young man who was practicing in the local gym for taking up wrestling.  The young man asked the reputed wrestler fifteen days' time to wrestle him in a title fight.  The wrestler agreed. The young man grouped his friends and told them to visit the wrestler every day in the morning and evening. Each day a friend visited the wrestler and was inquiring with him why the wrestler was looking tired and asked whether the climate in the town or the food did not suit him or what.  This continued till the day for the wrestling.  On the day of the prized fight with the young man, the wrestler was looking totally drawn, emaciated and was feeling tired

Adolf Hitler was in the army during the first world war.  He was frustrated by the German defeat in the war, the treaty of Versailles and the reparations that Germany had to pay.  He joined a small political outfit called German Workers Party in the same year it was founded in 1919.  The party and its founders felt that the treaty at Versailles was unduly unjust to Germany and the party was founded on the principles of German Nationalism and anti Semitism.  Hitler soon became a charismatic public speaker who could attract many German youth to the party.  He used to espouse the Aryan supremacy and German nationalism in his speeches and blaming the Jews and Marxists for the all the ills of Germany.   Though in 1923 he was arrested and imprisoned for a five year term, he came out of prison in a year and started rebuilding the party he joined which he renamed as German Socialist Workers Party or Nazi party.  After his release from prison he went about reviving the party and took part i