Mumbling Mainstreet: Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) is out and India is rated below global average

"...index measures perceived levels of public sector corruption...India ranked 91st out of 182 countries and territories on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2025, with a score of 39, according to the latest report released by Transparency International on Tuesday."

Looking at the historical trend, India’s score has hovered between 36 and 41 from 2013 to 2025. In comparison, key developed countries in the Asia-Pacific region - Singapore (84), New Zealand (81), and Australia (76) - recorded the highest scores, ranking third, fourth, and 12th globally, respectively.

India seems to be standing still, showing little progress toward the less-corrupt end of the spectrum. Public sector employees are not extraterrestrials sent to work for us - they come from the same society as the rest of us. Which means, this ranking reflects a broader societal context. If we want meaningful change, the focus cannot be limited to government machinery alone. As a society, we need to introspect and ask ourselves: what can we do to reduce corruption in our everyday interactions. 

CPI is not just a score - it’s a mirror reflecting our collective responsibility.

Sajeev

References

1. Corruption Perception Index: India ranks 91st among 182 nations; scores 39 - BS

'Operation Warp Speed (OWS)' - Accelerating towards COVID-19 vaccine

Goal of OWS is to deliver 300mn doses of safe, effective vaccine for COVID-19 by January 2021. This project is a partnership among agencies under US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) like FDA, CDC, NIH, BARDA and Department of Defence. 

Today OWS announced the largest US government Covid-19 vaccine contract to date - a whopping $1.6 billion contract with Novavax. In fact Novavax is the fourth company to get federal funds for phase 3 clinical trials, where each trail includes 30,000 people. Earlier government gave more than $1.2mn to AstraZenca. Moderna ($483mn, phase three trails might start by end of this month) and J&J ($456mn) also received funds for phase 3 contracts. 

Hope that at least one of them will break through and humanity can finally claim victory over COVID-19. 

Sajeev

References

1. Operation Warp Speed commits $1.6 billion to Covid-19 vaccine maker Novavax - CNN

2. Operation Wrap Speed

Migrating back and forth: The struggle for survival - What is going on in Odisha?

Sun Temple, Konark

"They fled their workplaces from Rajasthan in whatever way possible, fleeing the COVID-19 infection. But barely two months later, the migrant workers from Odisha’s Balangir district have returned to their workplace right across the country, to stave off hunger....More than seven lakh people mostly migrant workers had returned Odisha following COVID-19 lockdowns"

- The Hindu

Labours fled the cities and went to home states when COVID-19 killed their jobs. Now they are going back to same place, not because COVID is over but being alive became more important than the killer disease. I took this Odisha specifically becuase its a oxymoron. This state is blessed with everything that nature can give; still close to a million people from Odisha are working as migrant labours in other states. Even in terms of total number of bonded labours identified and released Odisha stads 3rd in India.

If you look at Odisha there are,

1. No political unstability.

2. Abundant natural resources - This state has one fifth of India's coal; a quarter of India's iron ore, third of bauxite and rare earth minerals like Chromite.

3. One of the biggest steel plants

4. Population density is not so high, this mean land is available for projects

5. Large coast line and a major port - Paradip

6. Abundant supply of water

7. Potential to be tourist heaven

Of course there are problems like Maoists etc. I think Odisha should do a self searching to see why the state is not in the list of India's front-line states. Almost a decade back I spent a week in Odisha criscrossing the western areas. Odisha is beautiful; in fact I would say one should visit Konark sun temple at least once in a life time. 

I request the state government which is there for two decades to seriously use that potential and bring Odisha to the forefront where it belongs. Saudi, Qatar, UAE sitting on huge oil reserves attract migrants not the other way around; then why can't Odisha?

Sajeev

References

1. Migration from Odisha resumes as desperate workers and employers reach out - The Hindu

2. Bonded Labour - Lok Sabha Unstarred Questions 345 (24/6/2019)

Glow & Lovely & Handsome - What is fair and unfair?

 "HUL today...introduces Glow & Lovely, the new name for the Fair & Lovely brand. Over the next few months, Glow & Lovely will be on the shelves, and future innovations will deliver on this new proposition. The Men's range of Fair & Lovely will be called 'Glow & Handsome'" -  HUL

Emami hit back immediately stating that, they have a similar product called, Fair & Handsome for men's personal care.

"...Emami Ltd said it will seek consult legal experts over rival Hindustan Unilever Ltd's decision to rename its men's fairness cream brand as 'Glow & Handsome' that bears similarity to Emami's 'Fair & Handsome' brand of men's personal care products." - Livemint

Obviously, men will be confused; whether they need to make their faces glow or fair!!! May be, they can use both products so that face will be fair, glowing, and handsome!!! By the way, if HUL (Hindustan Unilever) is dropping the word fair since it is discriminating then what Emami will do? Shall they keep it? Now if they drop it, then what will the new name for Emami's product? Obviously not 'Glow'... any guess?

You might be wondering what the big fuss about name? Well, it is actually a big thing. Let us look to Unilever (daddy of HUL). Uniliver is a very influential company worldwide; its an old multinational and have products selling in 190 countries (https://www.unilever.com/about/who-we-are/about-Unilever/) and used by billions (remember its billions with a 'b'!!!). They own a plethora of brands. HUL is not different, they operated in India even before independence, and have popular brands like, Axe, Boost, Comfort, Horlicks, Rexona, Lifebuoy, Lux, Pepsodent, Wheel, Brookbond etc. Their personal care portfolio is impressive - Lakme, Ponds, Aviance, Sunsilk, Brylcreem, Clinic plus, Dove etc. So, the choice they make and their marketing is going to influence the world. Just imagine how De Beers, 'A Diamond is Forever' of 1947 changed that industry forever. I really doubt whether any amount of marketing can change Indians obsession with white face!!!

But the question is,

1. What HUL is going to achieve by this name change? Product is same, objective is same. Simply old wine in new bottle. If they are not ready to drop the product altogether (which is quite a successful brand!!!) what is is point? I do not think most Indian customers care much about the word 'fair' in 'Fair & Lovely', they may even love it. But yes, the success of the brand puts a glaring question mark on society about the way they treat people whose face is not white.

2. Even in 21st century why we need to look towards US for making some change here? This name change is said to be triggered by incidents of police brutality against blacks, the 'Black Live Matters' movement in US (Johnson & Johnson announced that, it will retreat from skin whitening business).

If brown live matters, these types of products should not have been launched in Brown India in the first place.

Sajeev.

Mumbling Mainstreet: Anyone Left in the system?

"Turkish government expanded its crackdown on dissent and free expression over the weekend, purging nearly 4,000 more public officials, blocking access to Wikipedia and banning television matchmaking shows" - NYT

More than 1,40,000 people already lost their job from public and private sectors; more then 1,500 civil groups became history since the failed coup against Erdogan last year. Looks like there is no end in sight for Great Turkish Purge. It's bad time for civil servants in Turkey. If things are going in this way, there won't be any leftists, rightists, centrists or whatever others "ists" left in Turkey - Only Erdoganists!!!

--Mumbling Mainstreet

Mumbling Mainstreet: PM started thinking and MP did it!!!

"Madhya Pradesh has become the first state in the country to formally switch to a January-December financial year format, with the state Cabinet  on Tuesday approving the proposed move. The next Budget session of the state Assembly will be held in December 2017 or January 2018, while the next financial year will start from January 2018" - Business Standard

Lightening Speed - no other words to describe the speed. I wish MP gov. could show the same energy in building infrastructure as well.

-- Mumbling Mainstreet

Mumbling Mainstreet: Running towards Christian Europe instead of Islamic Saudi

"During her talks with Gulf leaders, Ms. Merkel is expected to press them (Saudi Arabia) to do more to take in refugees and provide humanitarian relief for those fleeing conflicts in Muslim-majority countries. Her country has provided refuge to hundreds of thousands of people from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan in recent years." - The Hindu

I don't think, she will be able to anything on refugee problem. However, it is quite interesting to see the pattern. Persecuted Muslims from war-torn countries from Africa and Asia are trying to get in to Christian Europe not to any Middle-East Countries.

-- Mumbling Mainstreet



References
Germany’s Merkel to press Saudi Arabia on refugees, rights - The Hindu

Carl Wilson Heading to..... yes Australia!!!

In response to the provocation from North Korea, US deployed ACG (Aircraft Carrier Group) Carl Wilson to Korean Peninsula. South Koreans cheered, finally their best friend - the US - is ready to flex muscles on their behalf. No idea about North Koreans, who knows, what their government told them. Well, the smile on South Korean's face didn't last long. As a matter of fact, at the time Trump was speaking Aircraft Carrier Carl Wilson was sailing in opposite direction to Australia and at least 3,500 miles away from Korean borders. What more, adding to the injury, in an interview with WSJ Trump told that "Korea actually used to be a part of China."

References
1. "Trump’s claim that Korea ‘actually used to be a part of China’" - Washington Post
2. Aircraft Carrier Wasn’t Sailing to Deter North Korea, as U.S. Suggested  - New York Times

Watering down... A bit more...

“The regional government of China’s far western region of Xinjiang, which has grappled with ethnic violence, has put into effect strict regulations that punish people for spreading “false information” online” - NYT

Are you shocked? No right... One thing communism is not able to wipeout is the sense of cultural identity. Though the idea reigned a great geographic mass of Asia and Europe for more than seven decades, people came out of it with a stronger sense of cultural uniqueness. Even in numerous multicultural societies, a separate identity still exists underneath. Better than trying to eradicate it, assimilate it. In that line rather than fearing a detached cultural identity of Xinjiang, try to integrate it with Chinese identity. 

In this open world, how long Chinese will be able to stop the spread of "false information"? So, try to give room for cultural differences to exist than abolishing it. Chinese Communist Party added an ocean of water to the idea of communism. Sprinkling some more will not cause any problem.

Sajeev

Absurdly Huge

"Actor George Clooney and his wife Amal are reportedly living separate lives and are ready for a $300 million divorce" - TOI

Divorces are abundant in modern society. Old days of adjustments and single companion for life already became history in numerous cultures. Nonetheless, I am wondering, whether it is right to ask or pay such enormous sum for getting separation? $300mn for a divorce...!!!

Sajeev.

A Shot From The Street

Light piercing the darkness

All of us are coming to this world with an expiry date.

Wish all the footpaths in Bangalore are like this; wish if there were no potholes in other footpaths as well.

Super Cop On The Road

Super cop on the road; along with stray dogs wandering cows are now becoming the new normal in Bangalore roads.

Missed Opportunities in Network Gears - Again

“Uninor, the India business unit of Norway-based Telenor Group, has signed a contract with Huawei for modernisation of its entire telecom network across all its circles. The worth of the contract is Rs 1,200 crore... project will be spread over a period of three years and aims to modernise Uninor’s existing network with Huawei’s new architecture, platforms and equipment…Under the deal, all 24000 base station will be swapped with new equipments. The deal also involves Huawei becoming the managed services partner of Uninor.”

Still wondering what is happening? Well, we just started the process of handing over big contracts to manufacture/installation/providing services for network gears to big Chinese companies. It’s bound to happen when we refuse to learn lessons from history. Didn’t we go through the same situation during 2G network expansion? I think, at that time also we outsourced everything related to network gears to European and Chinese brands. There was some hope that, by the time of 4G rollout there would be some Indian companies capable of giving some competition to Chinese... but no we failed again.

Sajeev.

References
1. Huawei bags Rs 1,200 crore network contract from Uninor  : Firstpost

2006 Mumbai Blasts - Who proved what?

It was on that cursed day - 11th July 2006 - blasts in seven local trains claimed 189 lives (25 more, than Mumbai attacks of 2008) in Mumbai. Apart from breif time - when Yasin Bhatkal was arrested in August, 2013 - this trail was almost out of media radar. As usual prosecution produced mammoth about of paper "...a charge sheet that ran into approximately 10,000 pages; the witness statements of 189 prosecution witnesses, 50 defence witnesses and one court witness; along with other relevant documents such as the chemical analysis report..."(Caravan). Ofcourse its effectiveness will be revealed when MCOCA judge will pronounce verdict and later verdicts by High Court and Supreme Court (as part of appeal process).

I was not so comfortable after reading this report. After 9 years; completing a long trail; we still don't know who did what? Read Caravan report here -> "Nine Years after the Local Train Blasts in Mumbai, There is Little Clarity on Who was Responsible for the Attack"

Sajeev

Rising Radicalism in Bangladesh

Dhaka, "Bangladesh — Machete-wielding assailants hacked to death a self-professed atheist blogger, the third such attack in four months—raising fears about increasing radicalization in the Muslim-majority South Asian country" - WSJ

Voltaire essay states, "Think for yourselves, and allow others the privilege to do so, too". It's the duty of a citizen to protect and fight for the right of him(her)self and others. One may not agree an opinion, but it doesn't mean that (s)he don't even have the right to hold an opinion. 

A statue at Sea? For whom?

Maharashtra "has proposed an elaborate security arrangement for the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj memorial in the Arabian Sea off Mumbai, including a system that will keep it invisible on radars, bunkers and an independent security unit, including the National Security Guard ( NSG)".

And this 190 feet statue is going to cost 1,900 crore!!!

Do the state really need such a statue; that also at sea? When people don't have enough toilets for sanitation and pure water to drink, how the state government could even think of taking such a decision?

Sajeev

Refereces
1. Z++ security for Rs 1,900 crore Shivaji statue - TOI

Supreme Court should discontinue one and half month Summer Vacation

Can anyone tell me why Supreme Court of India (SC) requires a one and half month summer vacation – half of May and full of June?

Reference

1. http://supremecourtofindia.nic.in/calendars/cal.htm  

What is the key to Innovation, Mr President?

“Speaking on the occasion the President said Innovation is the key to progress and prosperity. The process of innovation converts knowledge into social good and economic wealth. It encourages the engagement of talent with the society to improve the quality of life. India always has had a strong tradition of knowledge. Our knowledge system offer tremendous scope for research involving land-to-lab investigation and lab-to-land transfer of technology. It is important that the vast repository of indigenous knowledge is protected, documented and preserved in active collaboration with prominent practitioners of traditional knowledge.” – President Of India

Innovation is the key to progress, I agree. But what is the key to innovation? Are we really creating those right environment for innovative minds to work on; or ideas to come out?

Why we are always focusing on the so called “tradition of knowledge”? It is true that we did something good in the past. But it was long time back; we can’t live on memories of past forever. We need to move on.

Sajeev

Gandhi would have shocked? Really?

US President Barack Obama on Thursday said the "acts of intolerance" experienced by religious faiths of all types in India in the past few years would have shocked Mahatma Gandhi.

I don't think M.K.Gandhi would have shocked after seeing today's India, as far as religious intolerance is concerned. India improved a lot from 1930s and 40s. If anyone has doubts, just take look at the photos taken during the partition. 

References

1. Religious intolerance in India would have shocked Mahatma Gandhi: Obama - TOI

Think beyond dams and trees in NE India

Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER)… Dr. Jitendra Singh has announced “Make in Northeast” initiative, beginning with a comprehensive tourism plan for the region

“in the long run seek to promote exclusive Northeast expertise in areas like tea processing, organic farming, food processing, exploitation of wind power through wind mills, AYUSH, wellness therapies like spas, etc”.

Everyone is interested in promoting North-East region; central government’s assistance is also flowing to this area. Hope that, at least this time someone will think beyond constructing dams and cutting down the trees while thinking about development.

Sajeev

References

1. GoI