The Economics of ODD-EVEN rule in Delhi

So here comes the new year, so what is new about the new year except that it is a new year 2016? New resolutions, new hopes , new plans, not just at the personal level but also at the national level. And when it comes to the national level, the newest in the block is the odd-even formula devised (but not the original) by the Delhi chief minister, applicable to all the private vehicle (read car ) owners in Delhi. Oh, I just remember that I have a new year party to attend tonight. Before I plan for what to wear, and what to carry, I have to look at my car's registration number. Thankfully, it is an odd number, which means I do not have to struggle to reach to the venue. But the party is supposed to run till the wee hours, and what if I get stuck with a flat tyre or a broken car. I must leave my car there and then, and hire a cab, or a public transport, because the calendar would have changed to January 2, and I am not allowed to drive my "Odd" vehicle on an even day (riders applicable).

So, here comes the plethora of all the possibilities that one can imagine in the wildest dreams. Just a month ago, wassapp and social networking sites were flooded with satirical versions of the Even-Odd formula. Sure enough we do care about the environment, and the deteriorating quality of air, but when it comes to finding a solution to the problem, the Odd-even formula does not seem to be a very good fit for a state like Delhi. There are several reasons why. Primarily , the Delhi public transport system is not well equipped to serve the rise of public traffic during the period the new rule is in effect. The Delhi metro is already over-crowded and over congested even during the normal days, that there is not even enough room for the general public to plant their feet in it. Secondly, the number of buses connecting different routes is not enough to bear the extra burden of the people who would want to opt for it, in the absence of private vehicles.
The odd-even rule will empower the private cab drivers or rather bring about perfect competition in the Auto rickshaw category. They will gain the absolute power to demand the fare they want. It may also lead to cartelization unless there is a regulatory authority to watch out.

The next big question is- who is going to be the most affected by this? Like any other rule, the middle class will face the brunt, because the upper middle class is most likely two possess more than 1 car and the probability of having another car with a complementary registration number would be 1/2 .
The bike owners, ministers, VIPs, women and people with medical emergency are exempted from this. However, how is it possible to judge whether someone is going to hospital or not,

Where do the trucks driving on national highway go? Are they not contributing to environmental pollution? Since the rule is in effect from 8am to 8 pm, so can we expect traffic snarls and jams post 8 pm.

The odd even theory may have worked successfully in other countries but this is not definitely the right time to implement it in Delhi. The government should work towards  developing the public transport and infrastructure first, . Government has not rolled out the estimated number of buses for the public, but is expecting the public to travel by buses and car pools (again a bad idea for a place which is unsafe ,especially for women). I personally would'nt opt for car pooling, that leaves me with no better option than travelling by metro and squeezing in between people.

I wish Delhi chief minister was more tactical, original and logical, and focus should have been more on a feasible solution than just a temporary resolve. With the crippled transport system in Delhi (and elsewhere), do not expect people to leave their personal vehicles. Churn out more metros, smart buses, safer cab system, and then we might just think of it.

Moral of the story for Delhi chief : Imitate only what can be imitated. Do your ground work before blindly following a foreign country.

Travelogue- Odisha Trip , Part 1

Its time of the year again, and the year ended on yet another trip. This time it is the eastern coastal state of Odisha with my family (yes, my travel buddies , my mom in law and dad in law). We covered a whopping 6 places in row. While most of the places are of religious significance, nevertheless, it was fun exploring the places.
Since cameras are not allowed in many temples, I was'nt able to click as many pictures as I wanted to, but still have managed to capture quite a few of them.
The no.1 slot goes to the Sun temple at Konark. Built in 16th century, it is a protected monument under UNESCO and ASI (archaelogical survey of India).
Check out the pictures of this astounding structure. It is believed that the Sun's first rays enter directly into the temple. The temple is designed as a chariot with big wheels.

Can you beat that? The entire temple was carved out of a single stone, back then in 16th century.

 The iron rods around the structure is meant to protect the monument from natural catastrophe such as Earthquakes and storms.

The depiction of feminine figurines in that era.

The famous wheel which is also the symbol of Odisha

One side of the chariot

Look at the intricate carvings in the stone

Next stop - Chandrabhaaga , a place where river meets the ocean.The beach is a retreat from the maddening city noise

The serenity of the place is soothing to the soul

Next stop - Puri Temple, we had a quick darshan and bhog at the temple. No cams allowed so no pics at the moment.

Next hault- Rama Chandi temple near chandrabhaga. Legend says that this is the place where lord Rama was guided by the goddess as to how to resuce Sita from Ravana's captivity.

Next stop- Dhaulagiri stupa where king Ashoka adopted Buddhism. This one is from the net, since it was dark by the time we reached there and we could'nt grab any clicks.

And last but not the least Lingaraja temple. I wish I had a journalist / reporter/ professional photographer tag to be allowed to carry a camera inside. This click is again from the internet, just to share the magnificence of this very old temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is a multitude of small temples dedicated to different Gods and Goddesses. 

So did we mark the end of the Trip. Hoping to cover more next time . Never knew actually that Orissa had such rich cultural heritage. A highly underrated state, but atleast it is not yet exploited as a tourist hub, which keeps it safe from the noise and pollution.

My Audioblog coming up

Just a moment ....

Tied to shackles of the social expectations, I regret those moments of my life when I was not a rebel enough to live my life my way. I am proud of myself, whenever I took control of my life and did not heed to the voices of the outside world.

In search of the same self , who was not selfish but a confident crusader. I have learnt to live my life 

in a way where I do not depend on others for my happiness. I do not seek my happiness in what others think of me. That is their opinion, their perspective. I am not here to please the people around me. I want to live every moment as if this moment is the last moment of life. 

Been there, done that. Forget and move on. Yesterday, I went for a trip , it was a moment that 

was for that point of time. It is of no significance to my being today, except that i remember it as just one moment in the life. Tomorrow, I will be doing something that I have never done before. Not a big accomplishment , just been there , done that sort of moment, I will move on. 

Planning for a trip to hill station next . If I wait for the certain company,

my trip may never materialize, and I do not want to lose the moment of life,because motto in life is

"Live life without regrets" . Even though one of the biggest regrets I will always carry, and thanks to the outside societal pressure and people who don't really care enough, who took control of my life at that particular moment of my life when I could not fight. 

But still-- live life without regrets, because you never know when it will be the last moment of life.

Marriage Vows

Sia and Mohit have been married for two years now. They both live in an apartment in Mumbai Suburbs. Theirs had been an arranged marriage, just like the majority of weddings happen in India.
A few months of acquaintance and a formal conversation, eventually ended with both of them getting tied by the sacred knot known as marriage.
After the first few months of the nuptial period, life had been the mundane struggle for both of them to make the ends meet.
Sia has always been a carefree, "live your life to the hilt" kind of girl. She has aspirations for her career as well as her love life. Mohit on the contrary is a laid back, self indulgent and again carefree enough to care about the future. Sia is a devoted yet chilled out wife. And so is Mohit, a husband who never refrained Sia from living her life her way, atleast that is how it appeared to be.

Sia works as a banker with a MNC. Her hectic schedule would keep her occupied enough to block her thoughts from going astray.
Rhea, one of her colleagues at the office questioned her once," Sia, how can you live with such a casual attitude towards your personal life? " "What do you mean by that Rhea?" Sia was puzzled.
Rhea continued," I mean you never keep an eye on Mohit's whereabouts, who he speaks to, what he does when you are not around in town..Umm, you know what I am trying to say, if I were you, I would have never let my husband move so freely."
Sia gave a gentle smile and explained, "Rhea, you know something, if someone has to cheat, he/she can cheat anytime, no matter how much you keep an eye or play a watchdog. Fidelity doesn't come by control. If it has to come, it comes. I have seen many couples where husbands would dote on their wives,fulfill every wish,would never let an iota of doubt strike their wives mind, yet behind their back, the husbands would be living a secret life of love and betrayal. And that can be true for wives too.So it goes, What has to happen will happen. Emotion is a free bird,it flies where it wants to fly. "

Sure enough, Sia was not a typical wife,who would ask for her husband's time and attention.She knows what belongs to her will remain hers. Mohit never expressed his love to Sia in an overt way in these two years. Sia never complained either. There has always been an air of indifference around her.She never interfered in what Mohit did. More ever her job kept her on her toes all the time. She was frequent traveler on the business trips. Or is there something that she is hiding behind her cool demeanor. Perhaps, her own insecurity that she is not loved the way she wanted to.Her ambition with regards to her career may be soaring high, but her dreams about her love was crashing down with every passing day. But still she is quiet. Why? " Because, you cannot hold love in hand, you cannot put bars around it." She often tells to herself.
That thought had occurred to Sia many times. Why doesn't Mohit love her. Why he never does things that other men do for their women. She concludes, " Mohit is not the kind of guy who is expressive, he is pragmatic towards love too. He doesn't have the ability to decipher an abstract emotion, which needs to be felt without judgment. But , I trust him, even though he does not say I love you Sia, he will never break his marriage vows."

It was Monday morning. Mohit went for work, while Sia had taken a day off to finish some of the pending work at home. It was 5 in the evening. Sia decided to go on a shopping spree to Bandra which was at a considerable distance from the home. She shopped for some new curtains and bed linens. Sia was passing by the CCD, and decided to take a breather before heading back towards home.

She opens the door of the cafe. She is stunned. She finds Mohit with an unknown female accomplice. They were holding hands and smiling. She saw the kind of spark in Mohit's eyes which she rarely saw before .She felt the lump in her throat. Suddenly, Mohit lifted his head and just when his gaze intercepted Sia's look, she walked out of cafe. Mohit tried to call her cell phone, but she did not answer the call.
"Its over", Mohit received a text message.

Mohit hurried towards the home." Listen Sia, let me explain. I did not mean to betray you. I never ran away from our marriage vows. I was always by your side when you needed me.." Mohit begged .
Sia cut his explanation short, " Mohit, hold it there. You were never by my side when I needed you, because I never let you know when I needed you. And as far as betrayal goes, No you have not betrayed me,I have been betraying myself with the false belief. I am glad to know that atleast you love someone to an extent that you are willing to sacrifice our marriage vows.That was the kind of love I wanted to see in your eyes for me, but I did not know that it was never mine. I was wrong, that you cannot love anyone, that you do not have the ability to understand or express love. But, I am content to know that I was married to a man who can love and express just like everyone else. I wish you all the best."

Mohit cried, "Sia , wait! "

"Next time do not break your marriage vows " Sia left with the whip of air.

Ramazan Food Festival- Frazer Town Closing

This is the closing video of the Day 1 of Ramazan Festival. 

Frazer Town- Ramazan food festival Part 2