Petro price hike

The Indian government is considering a hike in the prices of transport fuels to help petroleum marketing companies tide over the burden on account of crude oil topping $135 per barrel in international markets. Is the petro price hike justified?

Virtualscorpio says: I suppose they have no choice. What happens 2 all the crude produced in India?? does it not help balance out the crude we purchase??

Lp53 says: Stop import of oii; crude oil import means too much profit for refineries, petroleum distributors, and transporters. Edible oil import means too little motivation for our coconut, soya and oilseed farmers. Traders don't go and vote anyway... Lp ji adds something more.....
Kya aap baravi class se tez hein? 1. How many litres of each kind of petroleum products are derived from a barrel of crude oil? 2. At $135/bbl Brent Crude, what should be cost of production at refinery excluding customs and excise duties? 3. What is the capex investment to refine a bbl of crude (assuming a blend of crude grades on import market? Let us consider RPL's mega refinery at Jamnagar as anchmark. 4. What should be the ROI in business? 5. What iould be the ROI for distributors from the refinery outlets to the pumps? 6. If administered mechanism is not dismantled and the refineries are not allowed to sell their products to make profits, why should they remain in business? 7. If the distributors don't make a profit, why should they be in business? 8. If private enterprise is killed because all it wants is profits and profit is a diry word, then who will do the business/ Of course, the government, right? 9. If the government runs businesses according to laws that it makes, what prevents it from making laws to balance the books? 10, From does the mbooks come from? Print the notes, may be? 11. Why should I and you pay for inefficient energy use? When market sets the prices, the demand or efficiency will correct, at the break-even price. Why should that not happen? 12. Why are we not clamoring for complete dismantling of administered price regime? 13. WHY?

Niceguy251 says: This need a deep thought. Is it not worth finding out how come it is cheaper in some countries inspite of crude being at same rate for them and oil companies too being same? Do we not need an audit of their working to curb wasteful practices and ensure paucity? Also wasteful use of petro-products. Can we not discipline our countrymen to use vehicles only for necessity and not for show off or just going a little distance? And it goes without saying that we need to definitely put an end to CORRUPTION. It is we and only we the educated lot who can ignite minds of masses to ensure weeding out of corrupt politicians. Are we all willing to take up this much needed crusade?

Savy says: switch to bicycles...best fr health n wealth :D jokes apart....it will always n always go up never down..so no point.It remains to be seen when the govt formulates some policies on vehicular sale also.It is madness.

English and India

English has become the 3rd BIggest Medium of Instruction. Do you think that though English is not the first language of nation but in reality it hold top position?

Ruggedboyz says: If their is one nation which was not an english speaking one, but caught on to english like no other nation did. It has to be india, from being the language where most official work was carried out in to, one that helped get a job to, one if u speak it u belong to the 'hip' and the 'elite' to now channels and movies catering to them india has caught on to english like wood does to fire

Virtualscorpio says: Till such time India finds its feet in the International market & establishes itself as a big player, which it is trying 2 do currently, we have 2 accept that Englisg has 2 dominate as the media of instructions.

Sarika says: humko nhi sochna chahiye but hum bhi isi ke saath chal rhe ! becaus we cannot controlthe past we can not control the future what we do have rightin front of us

Vamsi says: it is a fact that english has become indispensable today. but importance to hindi our national language should be given. also people of various regions should give importance to their mother tongue as well. hindi and regional languages is real bharat varsh ! :-)

Niceguy251 says: Importance of a language lies in it's richness in various fields and it's adaptability. We all know that most of technical & scientific education is carried out in english as it has the huge store of such information. English has been accepting words from other languages and making it universal. Examples are many, just to quote some " Pyajama, Curry, Minar and Bandobast etc. Each nation has it's national language and it is their linking language. Can we Indians keep our heads raised and say the same for Hindi with conviction without taking shelter benind official status? I have stayed almost in all the regions of our vast country and I can vouch for it that it is either the local language or english which was required by me to communicate while being out of Hindi belt. We can not force but have to make persons understand that we need a national language and obvisiouly it will be the one spoken by the majority.

Serial blasts and Tourism

Do you think that the serial blasts in Jaipur on May 13,2008 would affect the tourism industry in the desert state?

LP53 says: No, cars kill more people than bombs..

Busybee says: if cricketers who are paid such huge amounts to go to Jaipur can run scared then we cant say much for tourists who go there at their own expense.. but this imo would create only a temporary lull in tourism..

Ruggedboyz says: i think i would for a certain amount of time till the news is fresh it will but for something like tourism to fall rajasthan is no kashmir and such incidence in rajasthan are only a freak few

Niceguy251 says: Initially yes but in the long run it will be negligible. People still go out in Sri Lanka, Iraq or Afganistan, don't they?

Lionking says: i would go with niceguy ... in the short-term, the tourism may be affected ... but long-term wise, there would be no effect ... provided there are no more such incidences ...

Virtualscorpio says: Not really, maybe just a temporary drop.

National Knowledge Commission and IIT

Concerned over the "glaring regional imbalance" in the availability of engineering education,the National KnowledgeCommission (NKC) has favoured elite institutions like IITs adopting some engineering institutions to raise their standards.Do you think that elite institutions like IITs and NITs should "mentor" the new institutions in order to help raise their standards?

Busybee says: Yes, why not ? It would raise the standards of the other colleges. But then the final product depends on the input of student quality as well...

Lionking says: this is a good move by the NKC ... the IITs are very reputed institutes worldwide ... and if the IITs can mentor the very many engineering colleges that churn out vast quantity of engineering graduates ... who are unfortunately not well recognized as IIT graduates ... then they sure will be having good prospect ... and the name that IITs has had hand in those institutes will be in the back of the mind of the people hiring those graduates ... IITs mentoring the lesser engineering institutes will set some "standard" for those institutes which is good ...

Niceguy251 says: I agree with Busybee on Why not. It should be something like extension of premier institutes and why only IITs we may even consider IIMs. Admissions, faculty induction, quality of education, examinations, modules etc should be controlled by the parent institute. It should be like having more sections but not in the same locality but at distance. Regular checks can be done to ensure same standards. Yes, why not?

LP53 says: What is regional imbalance? Mere fact of adoption by IITs will improve educational standards? Aren't there better options to improve quality? Let the IITs be; not worth diluting their resources.

Ruggedboyz says: Changes are welcomed always specially if they are a step in the right direction and this one specially is if IIT adopts tiny college with less repute it will diffo raise standards as intended and only add to the pool of better engineers and who doesnt like it if ur nation has more of better skilled labour then their previously was

Abx says:good move.........but should all engineers follow IITians footsteps ?

Virtualscorpio says: I agree wid the Busybee, Input quality + education = output quality

IPL-Cricket or Glamour

In IPL which one is dominating-Cricket or Glamour?

GussaWaala says: Its professional sports. They go hand in hand. Nothing new.

Lionking says: by seeing the photos above, i guess "glamour" dominating over cricket ... wah wah ... soooo nice ! but on a serious note, i guess both glamour and cricket are having a their equal say ... nothing better for both cricket and sports buff than this!

Niceguy251 says: I do not get enough time to watch IPL or rather remote in mostly out of my hands but whatever I watched I feel that on TV they show cheerleaders only when some good shot is executed or wicket is down. As far as showing stars and all is concerned it is not so much. It seems balanced. Of course new concept which we need to get used to.

Vs says: It has 2 be cricket, nobody wud come 2 watch only the cheergirls/film stars. Too obvious.

Ruggedboyz says: I think the glamour thing their is minimal and never ever overtakes the cricket one gives a damn if the cricket stars do come in to watch the match or not for they hardly do anything also if one is on the ground one can look at the cheer girl or have a place in the stance next to them they can grab ur attention else it is a non - existant thing that is focussed once in a while by the TV cameras so i guess so how cricket remainsa winner on IPL too

Lostpatrol says: Buy one, take two free. I am lovin' it! (Say that Densaab sytle)