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The Ganesha Way of Professional Visibility

There is something we often observe in the corporate world. The employee who works the hardest, spends the entire day chasing targets, stays in the field, meets customers and consistently delivers results does not necessarily receive the recognition he or she deserves. At the same time, there are people who understand the corporate ecosystem extremely well. They build strong relationships with senior management, maintain visibility within the organisation, know when and where to be visible, and gradually establish themselves in the eyes of management. And quite often, these are the people who move ahead.  Why does this happen? The answer lies in a beautiful story from Hindu mythology. The story of Lord Ganesha and Lord Kartikeya.  Once, Lord Shiva decided to test his two sons, Ganesha and Kartikeya. He announced that whoever went around the entire universe and returned first would be declared the winner. Kartikeya did not waste a single moment. He mounted his peacock and set o...
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From Popcorn to Ethanol: Are We Debating Public Policy or Just the Headlines?

Headlines Change. But Does Our Understanding Change Too? A few months ago, the Government’s decision on GST for popcorn dominated social media. Overnight, television studios, YouTube channels, Facebook posts, and X (formerly Twitter) were flooded with self-proclaimed experts explaining the economics of popcorn. It almost appeared as if the GST had been imposed not on popcorn, but on popcorn commentators themselves. Time passed, the headlines changed, and the same platforms suddenly became filled with discussions on ethanol blending, biofuels, automobile engineering, and energy policy. Almost overnight, everyone seemed to become an expert on internal combustion engines, fuel chemistry, and public policy. Some confidently declared that ethanol would destroy every vehicle engine. Others argued that it would ruin Indian agriculture, threaten food security, or merely serve the interests of oil companies and sugar mills. Facts became scarce, conclusions became abundant, and confidence far...

Sone pe Suhaga :Gold Monetisation Scheme

A Story Every Indian Family Can Relate To Imagine this. When your daughter turns five, you buy her a beautiful gold necklace. You smile and tell yourself, “This will be her wedding gift one day.” The necklace is carefully wrapped, placed in a bank locker, and forgotten not because it isn’t valuable, but because you’re saving it for the right moment. Years turn into decades. The gold remains safe. But when the wedding finally arrives, so does an unpleasant surprise. The necklace that once looked elegant now looks old-fashioned. You visit the jeweller expecting a simple exchange. Instead, you’re told: * The jewellery must be melted. * Fresh making charges will apply. * There may be deductions for wastage. * You’ll pay again just to own jewellery in today’s designs. The gold retained its value. The design did not. The Silent Cost of Idle Gold This story is repeated in millions of Indian households. Parents and grandparents buy jewellery years in advance for weddings, festivals, and future...

HAM मॉडल में सड़क परियोजनाओं की गुणवत्ता पर उठे सवालों के बीच NHAI का बड़ा फैसला

अब BOT-cum-Annuity मॉडल पर जोर क्या भारत के सड़क क्षेत्र में PPP मॉडल का नया दौर शुरू होने वाला है? पिछले एक दशक में भारत ने राष्ट्रीय राजमार्ग निर्माण के क्षेत्र में ऐतिहासिक उपलब्धियां हासिल की हैं। देश में एक्सप्रेसवे और राष्ट्रीय राजमार्गों का नेटवर्क अभूतपूर्व गति से बढ़ा है। इस सफलता के पीछे सरकार की नीतियों के साथ-साथ Public-Private Partnership (PPP) मॉडल की भी महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका रही है। वर्ष 2015 के बाद Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) सड़क निर्माण का सबसे लोकप्रिय मॉडल बनकर उभरा। इस मॉडल ने उस समय सड़क क्षेत्र को नई दिशा दी, जब निजी निवेशक BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) परियोजनाओं से दूरी बनाने लगे थे। HAM के माध्यम से हजारों किलोमीटर राष्ट्रीय राजमार्गों का निर्माण हुआ और कई वर्षों से रुकी परियोजनाओं को गति मिली। लेकिन समय के साथ इस मॉडल की कुछ व्यावहारिक सीमाएँ भी सामने आने लगीं। कुछ परियोजनाओं में सड़क की गुणवत्ता, रखरखाव और दीर्घकालिक जवाबदेही को लेकर सवाल उठे। इन्हीं अनुभवों से सीख लेते हुए National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) अब एक नया BOT-cum-Annuity Model लेकर आई...