Layman's musing on the Budget ('06 - '07)

Seems to be a 40:30:30 budget; some good, some bad, some I simply can't understand.


1. Excise Duty Hike on Cigarettes: Good; maybe will convince me to stop smoking. Bad; Increase the burn hole in my pocket.

2. Service Tax rate hike: Bad; both on the personal front as well for the firm that I work for. Got to pay more for services.

3. Duty cut on small cars: Good; Maruti and Hyundai have dropped their prices already. Anyway, was planning for a small car!

4. Short Term Transaction Tax: Simply can't understand. Does it affect MF investments?

5. Duty cut on aerated drinks: Good; Summer's made more bearable. Bad; Deeper into the 'fast food' mud. Swadeshi Jagaran Manch has more stuff to munch on!

6. No changes in Income Tax Rate: Good; Status-quo maintained. Bad; Status-quo maintained, could have been lowered.

7. Duty increase in Comps: Bad; Will cost more and slow (?) growth of
the already margin squeezed H/w market.

8. Duty abolished branded food: Good. Chomp along.

9. Duty cut Vital drugs: Good; some AIDS drugs will be cheaper.

10. Peak Customs Duty Cut: Good?? Bad??

11. FBT cut on business conveyance: Good; For the firm that is!

12. Duty Exemption on DVD Drives, storage media: Good; Flash drives and the like will be cheaper. Goody good news.

13. Infrastructure: Some good news. Should give a lift up to the core economy sectors.

14. Power: Seems good, got to measure against performance though!

15. Rural Thrust: Congress trying to avoid the NDA pitfall but as Rajiv Gandhi famously said only 10 paisa of 1 Rupee reaches the benefactors.

16. 1/6 rule good: Good, but is that so!

Happiness of an Idiot

There are idiotic people and there are idiotic people, but none surpasses President Bush.

Iraq - a nation that was moving along - one way of the other - has now been fully destroyed by an idiot and another set of zealots and hate mongers are taking advantage of the situation!

The blowing up of the Shia Mosque has all the elements of spinning Iraq into a long and protracted Civil War.


The original Mosque with the gleaming dome.
















The mosque as it stands now.

First Pictures - Silchar Trip

These are the first trip from my recent Silchar trip (5 - 11 February '06). More pictures to follow shortly!


The Marriage 'Kunjo'. The is where the Bride and Bridegroom take the '7 Pheras'.


The Floral Design of the Kunjo. Handdrawn and awesome!


This is where my 'Boro Mamu' (Uncle - Mother's brother!) freaked out. Went out every day to have sweets and got a bad tummy ache on the last day! This is also the place where my Dad used to frequent with his friends during the college days!


Scenic beauty! enroute to Shillong.


This truck's steering column gave way on its way up and that to on a bend! Held us up for over an hour on the highway.

Indian Team's Morale

The Indian team's morale exemplified by Sachin Tendulkar! Need we say more.....













Phat Gaye Kaya!


All Images courtesy AFP (the copyright belongs to them!)