Bullet trains in India: Reality or nightmare for govt?

Read more at: http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/economy/bullet-trainsindia-reality-or-nightmare-for-govt_1122929.html?utm_source=ref_article

I have always hoped that with improved technology, railways could serve India far better than airlines for connecting cities within 500 KM of each other. The reduced fuel consumption, reduced emission of green-house gases, etc. could lead to a superior solution to our travel needs. 

However, now we have cost estimates like Rs 63,000 Crores for connecting Mumbai with Ahmadabad by bullet train. The article referred above raises reasonable questions about the logic of this bullet train proposal. It is necessary for railways to throw some light on the possible economics of what is envisaged. Otherwise, the credibility of the railways would be seriously damaged.

I invite readers to do their own calculation of the ticket price, making a few assumptions of their own: return to be expected on the investment, the number of passengers traveling between Ahmedabad and Mumbai in a year, etc. The results would be revealing.

Srinivasan Ramani

Tax Exemption for R & D in technology for electric and hybrid cars

An item in the times of India says that this subsidy of Rs 14,000 crores will save Rs 60,000 crores in fossil fuel over six years.
http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/toi-edit/rs-14000-crore-subsidy-proposed-for-hybrid-electric-cars/

Times of India’s own counter-view is that the subsidy amounting to Rs 1 lakh for a 32 Lakh car would mean nothing to the consumer.

Clearly, the Govt should not subsidize cars selling more than Rs 5 Lakhs. What we ought to do is to offer a tax exemption for electric and hybrid cars costing less than Rs 5 Lakhs. The focus should not be so much on direct savings, but on stimulating Indian automobile industry to do R & D to create new lines of low-cost vehicles that drastically cut into petrol and gas consumption.  The tax exemption should cover a significant portion of the R & D expenditure.

Srinivasan Ramani

Customer complaint to a Web Designer

Dear Sir/Madam, 

Thanks for your email, but I have a complaint. 

While I was still online and had the ticket displayed by the site nget.irctc.co.in 

I clicked on "print" on the page which showed the ticket I had bought for my sister Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx. The print out came out of the printer and I was amazed that the name was shown as blank.  So, clicked on "print" a second time and got the same result again. I have a suggestion. Please have your web designer look into the possibility that this occurs when one types a name longer than the website expects. It did not accept the typing of the last two letters of her name: Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx. The best solution would be to allow slightly longer names than the website accepts now. 

Thanks, 

Srinivasan Ramani  

Comment No 3 on HCI/Web Design  

Regulating private educational institutions

Ravi Iyer runs an interesting blog titled the

Indian CS & IT Academic Reform Activism

There are interesting discussions on that blog on profit-oriented private sector education. There is a comment on some explosive news from New York Times on a large for-profit higher education institution in the US. 
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/03/upshot/corinthian-colleges-is-closing-its-students-may-be-better-off-as-a-result.html?_r=0

There is also comment on a recent Indian report that estimates black money generated in education sector at US$ 8 Billion per year!
CRPCC-education-black-money-corruption

At this level, the Government can dig out more Indian black money locally rather than in Switzerland!

There are also references to older events in India which we cannot afford to forget, such as those reported in the following.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fee_Reimbursement_Scheme_(Andhra_Pradesh)

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120325/jsp/nation/story_15292366.jsp

http://www.indiaeducationreview.com/features/indias-education-system-second-only-politics-corruption-wikileaks

What about government-funded education? Is that as pure as Ganga Jal? What have the politicians done to it? 

Srinivasan Ramani

Prof V. Rajaraman & Dr Arun Shourie honoured with D Sc (Honoris Causa ) by III/T Kanpur

Prof V. Rajaraman and Dr Arun Shourie were honoured with the award of D Sc (Honoris Causa ) by III/T Kanpur on June 18^th, 2014. A link to the video coverage is at iitk.vmukti.com
The actual award presentation of the D Sc’s starts at 1 hour 17 minutes into the video. So fast forward to 1:17, unless you wish to view the whole video.

Srinivasan Ramani