Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is
known as the Lion City (Singapura) and consists of the main island and about 64
smaller offshore islands, including Sentosa (the largest of the offshore
islands), Pulau Ubin, St John's Island and the Sisters' Islands. Singapore is
famous for being a global financial center, being among the most densely
populated places in the world, having a world-class city airport with a
waterfall, and a Botanic Garden that is a World Heritage Site and a popular
tourist destination.
In the first week of August took a Singapore
Airlines flight from Mumbai. It was a pleasant journey with the efficient and
caring crew. After about five and a half hours of flying landed at Singapore’s
Changi Airport, considered to be one of the best airports in the world. It was quite impressive and beautiful. After
going through the routine emigration check, we proceeded to collect our baggage. On collecting the same we were on our way out. It's often said the first impression is the best impression.
The first thing that impressed was the giant waterfall in the premises of
the airport. It is said to be the largest indoor waterfall. After having a look around, next took a cab to our destination that would be home for the next
fortnight. Our daily visits were almost planned and was combined
to see the special events and show on the Singapore National Day.
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is
known as the Lion City (Singapura) and consists of the main island and about 64
smaller offshore islands, including Sentosa (the largest of the offshore
islands), Pulau Ubin, St John's Island and the Sisters' Islands. Two bridges connect
Singapore to Malaysia and Continental Asia. The Johor–Singapore Causeway links
Singapore to the Malaysian city of Johor Baru on Peninsular Malaysia.
Singapore shares maritime borders with Malaysia and Indonesia.
Singapore, city-state located at the
southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, about 85 miles (137 kilometer) north
of the Equator. It consists of the diamond-shaped Singapore Island and
some 60 small islets; the main island occupies all but about 18 square miles of
this combined area. The main island is separated from Peninsular
Malaysia to the north by Johor Strait, a narrow channel crossed by a
road and rail causeway that is more than half a mile long. The southern limits
of the state run through Singapore Strait, where outliers of the
Riau-Lingga Archipelago—which forms a part of Indonesia—extend to within
10 miles of the main island.
Singapore is the largest port in Southeast
Asia and one of the busiest in the world. It owes its growth and
prosperity to its focal position at the southern extremity of the Malay
Peninsula, where it dominates the Strait of Malacca, which connects
the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea. Once a British colony
and now a member of the Commonwealth, Singapore first joined the
Federation of Malaysia on its formation in 1963 but seceded to become
an independent state on August 9, 1965.
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is
a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. The
city-state is 710 square kilometer and inhabited by five million people from
four major communities; Chinese (majority), Malay, Indian and Eurasian. Since
its independence in 9 August 1965, the country has adopted a parliamentary
democracy system.
Singapore is in the equatorial monsoon region
of Southeast Asia, and its climate is characterized by uniformly high
temperatures and nearly constant precipitation throughout the year. The average
monthly temperature varies from about 81° F (27° C) in June to 77° F (25° C) in
January. The daily range is somewhat greater, averaging about 13° F (7° C).
Singapore’s maritime location and constant humidity, however, keep maximum
temperatures relatively moderate: the highest temperature ever recorded was
only 97° F (36° C).
Singapore is famous for being a global financial
center, being among the most densely populated places in the world, having a
world-class city airport with a giant waterfall, and a Botanic Garden that is a
World Heritage Site. It might be ranked the second-most expensive place in the
world, and accommodation, food, and world-renowned attractions can definitely
be a bit pinching on your pocket, but there are ways to save in Singapore.
Booking in advance and planning your trip extensively will allow you to cut
spending corners and it won't be cumbersome.
The country's main exports include electronics,
chemicals and services. Singapore is the regional hub for wealth
management. Water is scarce in Singapore and a sizable percentage of
water is imported from Malaysia, therefore it is defined as a precious resource. Wastage of water is not tolerated.
Generally, Singapore is very safe to visit. It is
probably the safest country in Asia to travel to, but one should not take it
for granted. Use your common sense and keep your valuables and documents
closely by your side. Overall it's safe to travel anytime. Metros and buses cover almost entire city and taxis though bit expensive are available too.
Ranking fifth globally, Singapore is Asia's
second-biggest millionaire oasis after Tokyo. Home to 249,800 millionaires,
including 336 centi-millionaires and 26 billionaires, the city state is widely
regarded as the world's most business-friendly city, and is one of the top
destinations for migrating millionaires. No wonder you see beautifully designed residential and commercial buildings.
Modern and efficient, Singapore is a
comfortable city to live in. Its good planning, infrastructure, schools, and healthcare
system make it a pleasant place for expats of all ages to reside. The taxation
system in Singapore is very low and is considered to be generous. Though listed as the most expensive city to live in, it's people-friendly.
There are four official languages in Singapore:
English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil. English has been the predominant language
of instruction in schools for most Singaporeans since the 1970s, so
English-speaking visitors will do just fine in most circumstances. With sign boards put up every where, it's easy to commute and see places.
Singapore is known for its impeccable
cleanliness and low crime rate. The country has such a strong reputation
for being safe that the authorities had to put out a warning stating that “low
crime does not mean no crime,” reminding people to stay vigilant. But it's re-assuring to any tourist or foreign visitors.
Singapore's tap water is thoroughly compliant with the World Health
Organization's (WHO) Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality. So drinking tap water shouldn't be a problem.
Is it safe to walk at night in Singapore? Yes, it is more than
safe to walk at night in Singapore. The streets are usually well lit, and
people are normally around no matter what time it is. If you're worried about
your safety though, it pays to simply get a Grab to take you home.
As a “nation of believers,” faith is integral to Singapore's cultural
identity. 43.2 percent of Singapore's population is Buddhist or Taoist,
making this the largest religious group in the state. Christianity accounts for
18.7 percent, Islam 14 percent, Hinduism five percent, other religions 0.6
percent. And the people of all faiths live in harmony.
The city is well planned and the layout has been done in such a way so
that the buildings and structures are in harmony with nature. Well laid out gardens are an attraction. Attention has
been paid to open areas and greenery. Vegetation and water bodies are well maintained.
Singapore is well connected by efficient city buses
and metro train covers almost the entire island city. It is fast and convenient
to reach any part of the city state. A common prepaid card for bus service and
metro makes your travel seamless and convenient.
It appears the people here are health conscious and are normally slim
and fit, eating small meals frequently. The eating places and restaurants are
always buzzing with people. Singapore is known as a tourist destination and for
its hot and humid climate, being very clean, and growing in area due to
reclaimed land.
The city-state is a shopper's paradise, besides the usual luxury brands sold in
luxurious malls, you can buy almost everything except chewing gum. Singapore is
also known as "Instant Asia" because it offers visitors a quick
glimpse of the Asian cultures that immigrants have brought from all parts of
the continent. It has its China Town and Little India making it a mix cultural
place.
China Town showcases traditional Chinese lifestyle, buildings, shops, eating places and cuisine. Similarly Little India brings to life mini India with shops, traditional markets, the Indian restaurants, catering North and South Indian food. The place is lively with Indians, mainly Tamilians. So Chinese and Indians visitors will feel very much at home in this place. The thing that impresses the visitor is the discipline and order, cleanliness and all systems in place. Even the name boards make it easy for any traveler to move around the around city state.
Twitter may soon start charging
$20 per month for 'blue tick'
Elon Musk has reportedly given an ultimatum to the
employees to roll out monthly subscription pack for Twitter Blue by November 7.
Twitter may soon roll out paid verification for its users. Elon Musk, who
took over the social media platform last week, has asked employees to
roll out by November 7 a $19.99 monthly subscription pack for Twitter Blue,
a report by The Verge said on Monday.
Currently, Twitter Blue can be availed at
$4.99 per month and provides additional features like ad-free articles and a
home screen icon that has a different colour. For a $19.99 subscription,
Twitter may also offer paid verification. This would be the first time when the
users would be able to actually purchase the "Blue Tick". Musk, on
Sunday, tweeted that the company is "revamping" the current
verification process.
On Sunday, Musk also reportedly told its employees
that they must meet the deadline or "pack up and leave", The Verge reported.
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Many young Pakistani men and women have launched Youtube Channels focused on India - its progress and development, comparing it with Pakistan though it doesn’t make sense. It’s more of Pakistan reaction videos on India’s development in different sectors. Most of these youngsters go around with mike and camera seeking public opinion about India and its recent development. Most of these anchors themselves are not well-versed with the chosen subjects.....
Recently in a media talk show, while talking to Pakistani journalist Cheema, Sajid Tarar, an America-based businessman and political commentator
admitted that he used to think Pakistan is 50 years behind India. But seeing
the progress and new developments in India with the launching of satellites and
designing and construction of aircraft carrier etc, he feels Pakistan is 100
years behind India, and India is much ahead in every field. Even Kamal Cheema would
say, Pakistan is 15 years behind India. I think Sajid Tarar has made a correct
assessment and understands Pakistan better than most.
Many young Pakistani men and women have
launched Youtube Channels focused on India - its progress and development,
comparing it with Pakistan though it doesn’t make sense. It’s more of Pakistan
reaction videos on India’s development in different sectors. Most of these
youngsters go around with mike and camera seeking public opinion about India
and its recent development. Most of these anchors themselves are not
well-versed with the chosen subjects. They are not aware of the full facts themselves. And
this half-knowledge is dangerous and exposes their ignorance many a times. Most
of these anchors need a crash course on India to know the full facts before
making comparison between the two countries.
Another noticeable thing is most of them speak Urdu
and sprinkling of English in Punjabi accent, which sounds funny. As they are
not clear about the full facts of the chosen subject, ask questions with
half-truths. Most of them hail from Lahore and compete with one another on
doing better than the others creating rifts among themselves. Sometimes even
the chosen subject seems to be on the same lines as other anchors too pick the
same subject. Sometimes it's repetitive too.
They interview common people on the streets most of
them who are ignorant or are not even aware of the happenings around the world.
For them the answer is Pakistan is a muslim country and number one in the
world. Their army is brave and number one in the world. India is nothing
compared to Pakistan. And Indian and the world is jealous seeing the progress
in Pakistan. These interviews expose the level of education of the people,
their mindset, their thinking and outlook. Most Pakistanis live in their own
world literally believing in what is shown and said on the local media. They
are not exposed to world media. Most of them are not even aware that their
country is in an economical and political upheaval. Their leaders go abroad to beg for funds to run the country.
It’s not only limited to the illiterate, or
madrassa-educated masses, even the educated people are in a dream world.
Without even realizing the precarious condition of its economy, running on
loans and grants, they proudly say, Pakistan is a modern and developed country more advanced than India.
Their ISI and army is number one. Some go to the extent to say, the world
copies Pakistan to develop their countries. Most of these reaction videos are
more-funny than the Kapil Sharma Comedy show.
By interviewing the illiterate, half-literate or
madrassa-educated masses they are exposing themselves to the world and making
them a laughing stock. With poor IQ and nil general knowledge and devoid of
latest information, they give crazy and funny replies to the questions posed to
them. Even the educated are no less funny, and their women, most of them still
believe nobody can beat Pakistan and it is ahead of India in every field. In all this chaos there are few sane voices who have traveled abroad and speak sense with
facts and admit India is far ahead in most fields. And it's difficult to catch up with India.
Many of the anchors keep repeating that both
countries attained independence at the same time, India on 15 August and Pakistan
on 14 August, one day before India. This is factually wrong. India was under
British rule. There was no Pakistan before August 1947. India got its
independence on 15 August 1947. Pakistan was carved out of India for muslim
majority as per the demands of Jinnah and Muslim League. So it’s not
Independence day, it should be Pakistan National day. For three years, Pakistan
celebrated on 15 August like India and then decided to change and celebrate on
14 August, one day earlier.
The anchors should do their homework on the chosen
subject and know certain basic facts before going around interviewing people. They exhibit their ignorance. India is about 4 times the size of Pakistan area-wise and the population is 7
times that of Pakistan. India is fifth largest economy in the world. Will soon be 3-4 largest economy. Maharashtra, a state in India, its GDP is more than the GDP of Pakistan. Indian
army stands at fourth position, whereas Pakistan army is around 9-10th position in
world ranking. Indian Air Force is fourth on the list ahead of China. India has
a much bigger and stronger Navy with aircraft carriers.
India manufactures a wide range of products and
equipment's from textiles, machinery, defense equipment, artillery guns,
missiles, cars, trucks, armored vehicles, helicopters, fighter planes, drones,
frigates, aircraft carriers, space rockets, etc. India is recognized as the IT
hub of the world. In automobile industry, India is 3-4 in the world. In space science,
India has reached the Moon and Mars, that too at a lesser cost than the west. Pakistan
is still trying to reach India! India and ISRO is launching satellites for other
countries. Earlier India created a record by launching 104 satellites in a
single rocket. Recently during Diwali India launched 36 UK satellites into
space in a heavy rocket. India is planning to send spacecraft to Venus and is also planning a
mission to the sun. And is also working on sending man to space. India's make-in-India is appreciated the world over and is exporting a wide range of products including defense equipment.
India ranks high in education and is renowned
worldwide with many top Indian universities and technical institutes listed in
the world top list. Indian Institute of Technology and Indian Institute of Management is reputed all over the
world and the students who have graduated from here are occupying senior
positions and are CEOs in multi-nationals and in the corporate world. India is in
second position where English is spoken. A Pakistani friend in UAE told me a
decade ago, that over 50% of Pakistanis are illiterate. CEOs of Google,
Microsoft, Adobe, Mastercard, Pepsi, IBM, Albertsons, Netapp, Nokia, Palo Alto,
Arista, Novartis and Dellotite are all Indians. US Vice-President Kamala Harris
and UK Prime Rishi Sunak are of Indian origin. This tells the story of Indian influence
world-wide.
Some Pakistanis like talking about poverty in India
without knowing the truth. As per recent reports its 36% in Pakistan, whereas
in India, from 6% it is almost 1% now. They are not prepared to believe it. Another
often repeated line seems to be, Pakistan has a lot of talent. Then why it has not been harnessed for the betterment of the country in the last seventy years. I fail to understand that in
no other muslim country do they claim, we are muslims, but in Pakistan, they keep
repeating we are an Islamic country and hence we are ahead of all. Without
realizing that there are more muslims in India than Pakistan and are proud
Indians. It's hard for them to believe this fact. Next they say, muslims in India are suffering and are targeted without
realizing muslims in India in every field, be it education, business, science and
technology, sports, films, arts and literature are doing well for themselves along with other Indians.
Another frequently made tall claim by the people is
that, always India attacked Pakistan, and Pakistan defeated India in all the wars. One Pakistani is equal to 10-15 Indians. The fact is Pakistan lost all the
four wars – 1948, 1965, 1971, 1999. Apart from the common man, even the media and anchors find it hard to believe. They can refer to their own war reports and
videos of their own Pakistan Air Force Chief Ashgar Ali and others where they clearly state, all wars were started by Pakistan and Pakistan lost all the
wars. In 1971, Pakistan lost half its country and its morale. 93,000 Pakistan
soldiers surrendered to the Indian army and returned after spending more than a
year in POW camps in India. In Kargil, Pakistan got a befitting reply, lost men
and machine and their credibility. These wars have seen a lot of bloodshed and
loss of life and property due to the foolishness of the Pakistani army.
Kashmir is another subject they like to comment on.
Pakistanis claim Kashmir belongs to them. In the last 70 years, I have yet to
meet a person who can prove or convince that Kashmir belongs to them. Hassan Nisar,
a well-known political analyst and commentator said in no uncertain terms – how
does Kashmir belong to Pakistan? He added, even Pakistan was a part of India.
East Pakistan, now Bangladesh which part of Pakistan, they couldn’t hold on and it separated from Pakistan, they are doing better in all fronts. Common Pakistanis
believe, Kashmir should be part of Pakistan simply because they are muslims.
What about Bangladesh? They too were muslims and you lost them. Pakistan army was responsible for the worst genocide committed on the people of East Pakistan. The Pakistan army massacred its own citizens and raped the women.
The anchors will do well if they are aware of all
the above facts so they can counter the people speaking wrong or nonsense and
making a fool of themselves. They should correct them there and then though
they are not willing to hear anything against their country. But facts are
facts though it may be bitter. These anchors have made a beginning, though with some restraint and fear of the authorities. Many people are realizing and surprised by the facts and disparity in both the countries.
If Pakistan has to progress and develop, the people
must first think of their nation and not mix religion in everything. Forget believing they are leader of the muslim world as nobody takes them seriously. Pay
attention to education, health care and nation building by choosing proper
leaders. Kashmir issue has done more harm to Pakistan. Kashmir is kept alive by
the politicians and army to keep their interests alive. Common people are
fooled by hollow slogans by the Pakistan media. And sooner Pakistan accepts the
truth about India, its better. There is no comparison between India and Pakistan. A
stable Pakistan is good for India too.
After completing his $44 billion acquisition,
taking the helm of the social media giant on top of leading Tesla Inc. and
SpaceX, Elon Musk plans to assume the role of CEO at Twitter Inc
Elon Musk plans to assume the role of chief
executive officer at Twitter Inc. after completing his $44 billion
acquisition, taking the helm of the social media giant on top of leading Tesla
Inc. and SpaceX.
Musk intends to replace Parag Agrawal, who was
fired along with other major executives upon completion of the takeover, a
person familiar with the matter said, asking not to be identified discussing
internal deliberations. The billionaire is expected to remain CEO in the
interim but may eventually cede the role in the longer term, the person
added. Twitter representatives declined to comment.
Musk’s acquisition puts the world’s richest man in
charge of a struggling social network after six months of public and
legal wrangling. Among Musk’s first moves: changing the leadership. Departures
include Vijaya Gadde, the head of legal, policy and trust; Chief Financial
Officer Ned Segal, who joined Twitter in 2017; and Sean Edgett, who
has been general counsel at Twitter since 2012. Edgett was escorted out of the
building, Bloomberg News reported.
Musk also intends to do away with permanent bans on
users because he doesn’t believe in lifelong prohibitions, the person said.
That means people previously booted off the platform may be allowed to return,
a category that would include former president Donald Trump, the person said.
It’s unclear however if Trump would be allowed back on Twitter in the near
term.
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In the last couple of years, one has heard these words
more than often – Covid and Lockdown. And along with came another word which
made news – Moonlighting. And this is connected to the IT industry. For many, moonlighting
is not ideal, but it’s not cheating. Is it ethical to do more than one job in
India?
Recently one of my readers sent me an interesting
article on Moonlighting. I am reproducing the same for the benefit of my readers.
You will understand the term moonlighting and what it means and why it’s in the
news. And, how an unassuming PF caught up with them and exposed this
moonlighting. The end result being, a large number of IT guys lost their jobs
for breaking their contracts.
When I first read about this term I was confused,
what is this? 300 people got fired because of this? I enquired and came to know that IT professionals
in their Work From Home avtaar joined other companies who were also in Work
From Home mode.
Same competency, double delivery. Two different
laptops, same WiFi , catering to two different clients - all from the comfort
of own home, in own hometown. In both networks/ jobs performing exceedingly
well - just to avoid suspicion. It was impossible to catch them.
Then who caught them? The most innocent looking, unassuming, always in
the background - Provident Fund Contribution. Govt mandated that PF contribution has to be
deposited regularly and it’s violation was a serious offence.
Lo behold, as all Aadhar, PAN numbers are taken by
banks to open salary account, same are used to deposit PF, same are required by
companies to do back ground check. Systems are so beautifully integrated at the
back end that it was next to impossible for these moonlighters to create two
identities both financially and demographically.
So the PF runs a daily De-Duplication algorithm to
check if someone has paid double accidentally. In this case they found out that
- there are accounts of individuals, where contributors are multiple. This was
reported to companies, and the entire Bhanumati ka kunaba came down crashing.
This is the power of Digital India working at grass roots level to weed out
corruption. GOI saw this potential years ago and has been incessantly prodding
Govt organisations to go digital. Today our UPI and Aadhar technology stack is
the most sought after in the world.
In the background, India is integrating all of its
islands of excellence. All data bases of Govt are moving towards unified
integration at a very fast pace. An open architecture where every database
talks to other seamlessly without human intervention.
We are the only country in the world where delivery
of citizen centric services through technology has matured to a level where
it’s become way of life.
India is asserting itself in the automobile industry. Sales
are picking up. Overall sales were also 27% higher than Navratri 2020 and 16%
above the pre-pandemic season in 2019; trend seen continuing till Diwali which
is good news for the industry. In a major boost to the automobile sector and in
a sign of recovery, retail vehicle sales this Navratri were up 57 per
cent to 539,227 units, from 342,459 units during the Covid-hit 2021-22, said a
statement by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA)
recently.
Overall sales were 27 per cent higher than Navratri 2020
and 16 per cent above the pre-pandemic 2019 season. All categories put up a
strong show, with two-wheelers, three-wheelers, commercial vehicles, passenger
vehicles and tractors increasing by 52 per cent, 115 per cent, 48 per
cent, 70 per cent and 58 per cent respectively during the Navratri period
between September 26 and October 5.
“Navratri retails clearly shows that customers were back in
showrooms with all guns blazing after a gap of three years. In fact, the
two-wheeler category, which was continuously showing weakness when compared to
pre-Covid months, also registered single-digit growth,” said Manish Raj Singhania,
president, FADA.
In the two-wheeler space, the sales numbers increased from
242,213 in Navratri 2021 to 369,020 units in Navratri 2022. The current year’s
numbers are 20 per cent higher than 2020 and four per cent higher than 2019.
“When compared to Navratri 2019 (the pre-Covid season), all categories showed
positive momentum with two-wheelers, three wheelers, commercial vehicles, passenger
vehicles and tractors growing by four per cent, 31 per cent, 37 per cent,
59 per cent and 90 per cent respectively,” Singhania said.
Three-wheeler sales doubled during the 2022 Navratri
season to 19,809 units, from 9,203 in 2021. Compared to 2020, this year saw a
two-fold rise in three-wheeler sales. The increase over Navratri 2019 was
31 per cent.
Singhania indicated that the positive trend is likely to
continue till Deepawali. Passenger vehicle sales were up from 64,850 units last
year to 110,521 this year during the festive season. Commercial vehicles sales
rose from 15,135 last year to 22,437 this year. Tractor sales were up too
(17,440 units in Navratri 2022 from 11,062 units in 2021).
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