Confined to home and subjected to only Corona related news has got me bored. I came across non-corona news which I thought of sharing with you all.
 The report was about the state of India's birds 2020, as per the report all is not well with our feathered friends. An analysis of the conservation status suggests that India’s birds are declining at an alarming pace. Over 100 species of Indian birds are staring at possible extinction. Birds are very critical to our eco-system, but their conservation has not got half of the attention that wild animals get.
The report points out the fact that the sparrows have disappeared from most big cities, their numbers have remained stable for the last 25 years. What is concerning however is, the fact that several other kinds of birds such as red-necked falcon, Indian cuckoo, etc have decreased in number and are struggling to survive. Several reasons such as habitat loss, the use of pesticides, hunting and trapping have pushed them to the edge. Despite the earlier calls to end the use of pesticides, it’s usage continues to plague the environment. Growing urbanisation and resultant concrete jungles have enormously impacted the avian population today. Rising temperatures, changing vegetation and extreme weather conditions must have played their role in deteriorating conditions of the birds. 
Now we have comprehensive data that was compiled, in this report presented before the UN, 13th conference. The assessment of nearly 867 Indian species makes it clear that birds, overall are on the decline. Another 319 species are classified under the “moderate conservation concern” category. These species must be carefully monitored to rapidly detect and act upon, signs of a continuing decline. On the other hand, 126 species including peafowl, House sparrow, Asian Koel, rose-ringed parakeet and the common tailorbird are expected to increase in numbers primarily due to their ability to survive in human habitats.
Therefore the concept of urban forestry needs to be promoted with adequate concern for bird shelters and their feeding. Students also need to be sensitised. Now it’s up to the Ministry Of Forests&Environment and climate change to secure a future for the birds by taking urgent steps to save the threatened species. Resolute steps taken to protect forests and tree cover can offer multiple benefits.

India has just finished a few days of curfew and clapping to practice ‘social distancing’ and to express gratitude to millions of health and essential service workers amid the Covid19 pandemic. Yesterday, honourable PM of India appeared on TV to advise Indian people to observe a 3-week Lockdown from today’s midnight. As we see Coronavirus is challenging mankind as never before. China says it has overcome the initial phase of hiccups and is now in a position to control its spread while the US has declared that it is at war with the invisible enemy . I was expecting that PM would announce what his government is going to do for the economy when entire India is under Lockdown for about 21 day’s from now on, -whether it’s an existential crisis that our banks will face or the break-in employment and daily wages the poor will have to suffer. Nor did he address the issue of masks shortage or testing equipment, kits via-a -vi’s the Indian population. But he left it to the states to handle the messy details of lockdown and health care.
Whatever it is, today the entire world is suffering from the havoc inflicted by the Coronavirus. The WHO has already declared it a pandemic. So far around 4,00,000 people got infected worldwide, and in India, more than 400 people are reported to have been infected, out of which about 10 people died, according to a report. The figures are increasing day by day, but as I understand, now we are in stage 2, and the next 2/3 weeks are very crucial. So far most of the cases here are directly connected to people coming from abroad, and their relatives and friends who come in contact with them.
The human-human spread began in Wuhan, China, and Chinese authorities learned about it in last December 2019, itself. There are even reports that the virus originated in the Wuhan Institute Of virology and linked it to the manufacture of biological weapons by China. But Scientists of the institute say that its location and spread of the virus is a mere coincidence. Perhaps this is the reason why the US president is calling it “Chinese virus.” Earlier even in 2002 also an infection called SARS in which thousands of people got infected and around 750 died came from China.
If you look at the present situation in India, though the state governments are assuring the public that adequate tests for Covid19 are being done only 111 labs are operational, I believe, in a country of 135 crores population. The delay in testing will give the virus more opportunity to spread. The central government should take initiative in adding more testing centers, to ensure faster testing. Along with the scare of the virus, the poor people shouldn’t be left to stare at the prospect of living on an empty stomach. The corporate industry may cry for bailout packages but the priority should be to look after the interests of daily wage earners who have no one else but the Government to look to for relief.

Covid-19, the outbreak has taken the world completely unawares, exposing the vulnerability of public health systems in coping with the infectious disease pandemics in terms of preparedness, response, and recovery at local, national and international levels. As the world has fallen short on all these counts the failure has allowed Covid19 to spread like wildfire across hundreds of countries affecting lakhs and killing thousands.

Till about two weeks ago the virus was just a news story but now it has touched all our lives, right from work, play, entertainment, including our prayer, every aspect of common man’s life has been affected. Now students are on forced holiday, worried parents have themselves given up socialising going to restaurants, or cinema halls. The Government has already declared national calamity and states and Center are working in tandem to check the spread of the dreaded virus. The number of confirmed cases is increasing at an alarming speed. As the number grows daily, many businesses have closed, all working in the IT industry, are working from homes, while there is mayhem on the stock market, hospitals are overflowing. Just now our CM TS, KCR has announced complete lockdown of all districts, with no public or private transport, no cinema halls, nor malls or restaurants, in line with the Centre’s advice, except emergency services. AP and many other states also followed suit. Since there is no cure it’s wise and practical to take preventive measures to stop spreading the virus. TS Health Minister Rajendar is doing his best for which he deserves great applaud and appreciation, and KCR deserves praise for his timely action and support, extended to Health Minister.

PM’s address last Thursday seemed to have had a remarkable effect. In his appealed everyone not to hoard and to appreciate the services of those in the health sector is again a very good step. The “Janata Curfew” as suggested by him was made successful by people 100%, as this will be a kind of drill for broad lockdowns which will also be showing gratitude to the Essential Services workers who don’t get to stay at home in an emergency.

The question is how the Indian masses who eke out their living day to day, will tide through such curfews. Even the better off will reel from the economic fallout. Other countries have already announced robust fiscal responses. Some intellectuals opined there was no word by PM while addressing the nation, about the levels of preparedness and steps for ramping up testing facilities, especially at affordable cost, etc. He was also silent on steps to help the private sector produce and validate its testing kits. This is not “ease of doing business .“ There is a huge demand for protective gear which have almost disappeared. They were perhaps expecting that these issues would get covered instead of indulging in symbolism. Amid all this one columnist in an English daily made an intriguing reference of this abysmal situation terming to be a “blessing in disguise “for the Centre, As all burning issues, be it controversial CAA, or the Delhi riots, even the economic problems, have taken a back seat in the wake of the outbreak.

We are on the verge of stage 3 of Covid19, it should be states who should be telling us how well they are prepared and CM of TS did his job, by addressing press 2/3times within this span as they are the ones who should assume the authority and responsibility. Let CMs face TV cameras and address the anxiety prevailing among the common man. 

Yesterday’s NAMSTE TRUMP event in Ahmedabad felt like a continuation of last year’s Howdy Modi program of Houston. A program to woo Indians in the US in his ensuing US elections for President, for the second term. Yes, it is our tradition to extend good hospitality, whenever any Foreign dignitaries visit India for bilateral relations. But many people are of the view that there is no justification in such an extravaganza for the Indian Government to waste taxpayers money for the election canvassing in the US.
A customary visit to Sabarmati Ashram by any visiting dignitary is welcome while upholding Gandhian values which inspired the nation. But US President seems to lack the knowledge of Indian history and Mahatma. If you remember correctly, Trump once referred to our PM Modi Ji, as FATHER OF  THE NATION, in the record book of Sabarmati Ashram, and this will remain a strange note. Some News Papers also pointed out that this time there was no mention of Mahatma by Trump in the visitors' book. Does it show that Trump ought to have prepared himself or was he not appraised properly about Gandhi Ji before his visit?
 There is no use finding fault with Trump. Our Indian political bosses who are supposed to remember the world icon and follow his life and ideals have become CONSUMERISTS.
Some newspapers have also mentioned that Trump faced some awkward moments as he mispronounced several Indian words. While addressing a very big crowd in Motera stadium he made mention of two great cricketers Tendulkar & Kohli but struggled to pronounce, and it is agreed, many names and words are difficult to pronounce for foreigners, but he should have at least excused himself by admitting to his mispronunciation, either after or before uttering wrong names. 
 If an Indian politician introduced him as “TRAMP”, would it not be a diplomatic incident?
Due to similarities between Trump’s “ America first “and our PM’s “Make in India” negotiations between them could be difficult but the result could be mutually beneficial consolidation. They both want to counter China’s Belt and Road initiative. This would help ties between the US and India.

India is a land of culture (the meaning of culture is respecting every living being, including women) and traditions and it is a place where people fiercely pray to the goddesses too. It is utterly shameful, disgraceful that the very same people put the women through this gross indignity. 
 Some 60 girl students in Gujarat ‘s Bhuj, were forced to strip in an administrative check, whether they were menstruating or not, in a college. When teachers and spiritual leaders endorse myths around menstruation, policies don’t mean anything. For a government that is prioritising menstrual health and hygiene as a part of the policy, it’s loyalist followers are harming it by perpetuating medieval myths around this biological process. What led to this outrage was the fact that the girls who are undergraduate students at Shree Sahajanand Girls Institute, run by Swami Narayan sect were flouting a set of preposterous rules set by the college to follow during their periods. The discriminatory and utterly humiliating diktat bars the girls from entering college temple (to some extent this can be understood), kitchen, or touching other girls. In the classroom, they are expected to sit on the last bench and at mealtime, they are expected to sit away from others, also expected to clean their own dishes. What made matters worse was the statement by Krishnaswaroop Dasji, a religious leader that menstruating women who cooked for their husbands would be reborn as Dogs, while men taking such food would be reborn as bullocks! This beats all evolutionary theory and entrenches the worst superstition.
Any issues of faith and personal choices should be left for their discretion and we have to respect each other and coexist. The domain should be left to women to handle and they are capable of that. I hope this big taboo in society fades away and all coexist in harmony without any superstition and, scientific temper has to be developed. 60000 and above cases of cervical cancer deaths are reported every year, mostly due to poor menstrual hygiene. A whopping 23 million girls drop out of school annually. Adequate knowledge of menstrual hygiene and the development of local sanitary napkin manufacturing units must be encouraged.

"SOLDIERS WITHOUT BOOTS" was the headline of major newspapers. 

This is not the headline we expect to see that kind of headline 72 years of independence. CAG report flags a chronic shortage of gear for our forces in the Siachen area and raised questions about fund allocation. It is very disturbing, and atrocious. The latest CAG report tabled in parliament, last Monday, is a sad commentary on the lack of seriousness on the part of the government and Army towards the troops deployed in Siachen,the world’s highest battleground. CAG has pulled up government agencies on several counts, mainly for the delays in procurement of snow goggles, multipurpose boots, and other high altitude clothing and equipment essential for troops posted in areas such as Ladakh, and Siachen. This flies in the face of ruling party leaders who never get tired of claiming how national security is their top priority. In a report tabled in both Houses of Parliament, the central Auditor had also questioned the government for the inordinate delay in the establishment of the Indian National Defence University which was recommended by the Kargil review committee in 1999. It was also pointed out that soldiers lacked special ration, compromising the calorie intake of jawans by as high as 82%. The report also notes that there was a “critical shortage “ between 62% and 98%i n snow goggles, that troops were not issued multipurpose boots and old version of face masks, jackets, and sleeping bags were procured. The list of shortfalls is longer but suffice it to say that the government comes out in a very poor light.

It’s well known that it’s not the enemy but extreme weather conditions that kill our soldiers in Siachen. It was reported that overall 869 men lost their lives, serving at the glacier between 1984 & 2015, including 33 officers 54 JCOs, 782 other personnel. This report is no different from the earlier ones relating to March 2013, which said that we would run out of ammunition in 10 days in a conventional war. So, apart from this grim state of affairs bothering us for a while, there is no determined policy push to set it right. Some of the details are indeed so disturbing that it makes us wonder if we are among the top armies of the world and I do not know really, whether we can believe the recent statement that we can defeat the enemy within 10 days or so.

Whatever it is, nothing could be more unfortunate than this. A party in power that takes pride in its “nationalist” leanings cannot treat its Army in such a shabby manner. The least we can do for our soldiers is to give them respect and treat them well because they are the ones who put their lives on the line for the nation daily. If the government is not looking after our soldiers properly, then there is something very wrong with us as a nation.

During the Budget 2020-21 presentation,Mrs Nirmala Sitaraman ,the Union FM,mentioned that a provision is made that investors will have to bear 10%TDS on mutual funds income,which really shocked me.Most of retiree’s, in private sector or Some Govt Undertakings do not get  pension like Govt Employees.They invest in mutual funds for monthly income.This new rule will be a big financial setback.In the name of simplification the tax laws have been made much complicated ,for the salaried class,as the taxpayer is now required to calculate his tax liability under both old and new rules to find out which is more beneficial,perhaps ,even warranting professional help.Withdrawal of the most popular exemptions and deduction is, to say the least, a Most retrograde step and is actually putting the cart before the horse.
A person/senior citizen who gets around Rs 30000/PM whether a pensioner or a private employee with family -can never be expected to save under any section due to rising costs  of rents maintenance and medical expenses etc which are increasing day by day .What is the use of hiking Insurance cover when they can not save ? It looks FM has only concentrated on big earners and the IT sector ,ignoring the poor.
The  absence  of any concrete employment generation programs to harness India’s demographic dividend and oblique reference to the schemes introduced in previous years ,is really unfortunate.The Govt’s decision to sell a part of its holding in LIC and IDBI Bank is unlikely to elicit an enthusiastic response.In my personal opinion ,this is disservice to the nation.If not, the government must concretely bring forth the reasons behind such proposal.Listing in stock-exchange will result in not only change in ownership character but also investment pattern.There is Infact a very strong case for coverage of total amount of deposits without any ceiling as is the case with regard to sovereign guarantee by the GOI for the LIC policies without any restrictions.The FM should reconsider her proposal with due application of mind and continue the status quo position with regard to exemptions,and deductions and grant deposit insurance to cover the total amount of deposits.