Brains vs Grains!

Was fortunate to listen to an intellectual, Prof C. Rangarajan, recently. I was fascinated at the insights and humorous manner in which he dealt such a dry subject as “Indian Economy – the way forward”, till he started to speak on Agriculture! I was amazed how little the so-called experts know about the challenges in Agriculture and the complete lack of understanding the dynamics of Food Security in a populous country such as ours, which also happens to be an agrarian economy.

While he could rattle off figures and rates of growth in different sectors and also talk on how we can improve our present state of affairs, his total corporate style approach blended with a theoretical /academic knowledge of agriculture left me appalled. The rest of the audience, largely Corporate, being an IIM-A alumni meet, seemed to lap up every word he said and gave him a standing ovation too! He categorically mentioned that growth and development at any cost are important, and if that meant building a road in the middle of the forest, we must do it! I was shocked and totally dismayed. Every economist worth his money ought to know that growth needs to be inclusive and sustainable. Here was a policy maker talking like we can print a forest, just as we print currency notes! God help our country! Does he even understand that forests give us our oxygen and rain without which there is no purpose in having any growth! While I am no green activist, far from that category actually, I do think a balance and a sustainable growth is of paramount importance, and is being considered by every other country.

What finally irked me was the utter contempt with which he dealt with the subject. He said things like the actual number of farmers coming down was fine and that we can import foodgrains. He said we can move to increasing  the growth in the manufacturing and services sectors and forget about growing food. Being in this field and working with the likes of Prof. M. S. Swaminathan, I am sure there is no country with enough land to produce food for us! So, even if we do achieve 10% growth rate and all is well with Corporate India, fact remains that food cannot be imported to feed the entire population.

I seriously wish these decision / policy makers take some lessons from Professor Swaminathan. While, we need to improve the productivity, infrastructure, logistics and modernise agriculture, it is important for these intellectuals to realise that money cannot buy us food, anymore. As professor succinctly puts it, “Future belongs to countries with grains, not guns”. In other words, the wealth of a country needs to be measured by the food it produces. 

I came away home thinking how limiting our intellectual capabilities can be! I also realised how fortunate I was to have the opportunity to understand Agriculture from none other than Prof Swaminathan.

Lesson learnt: Its absolutely of no use to be an intellectual or be professorial in thinking, if its at the cost of common sense!

Sustainability at the individual level

It was a nice interaction with the DG (Dr. Julia Maton-Lefevre) of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) and she shared some wonderful insights on the workings in IUCN. Personally, I left the auditorium very happy and satisfied. Although there were many things I had heard before but perhaps, I was in a receptive phase or perhaps she put it so well. Off the many things she shared, she said each of us, in our own ways, can modify our lifestyles and cut down on spending, irrespective of affordability. Right from taking public transport and going vegetarian, she spoke from the heart.

She apparently rides a bicycle to work in Geneva (unheard of, for a DG) and swims across the lake to France occasionally! At first, her colleagues were a little sceptical and even thought she had brought down the distinguished office of a DG! Soon, however, many consider it cool and have followed suit. She said it also keeps her fit and healthy. Something clicked inside me and I have since resolved to cut down on frivolous expenditure that we sometimes indulge in, to start with:-)

I think its the only way - to sustainable development.

Protests in India

As I write this post, there is uncertainty on whether the Kudankulam nuclear plant will be commissioned! Media and many politicians from the opposition hail people's power and some of the debates on news channels border on absolute rubbish. As many people are pointing fingers at scientists and modern technology /science, for various past accidents and disasters and therefore justifying the closure of the nuclear plant, what agonises me is that the government is let off so easily!
 

The main cause of such protests are very clear.... people are not against nuclear plants in Kudankulam or Jaitapur or use of modern science but are against government officials. Indians have lost their faith in their government.

 

This in my opinion is what needs to be addressed, the government needs to instil the confidence in people and demonstrate that their decisions have peoples' interests in mind; engaging with people and having meetings with activists is not the solution. Activists are always against "something"... they never have solutions; they never bother to introspect on solutionsJ. However, the man on the street wants to have improvements in his quality of life, jobs, etc.

I really do hope such protests get the government to start working in the right direction. I am so reminded of this same government that took such a regressive decision on GM brinjal, based on activism on the roads by people who didn't know the spelling of Biology! Now, this same government says the people on the street don't understand nuclear energy!! That's just the point; these protests are actually a blessing in disguise for all scientists working in modern sciences.

Confidence building measures (CBMs) are confined to action in Kashmir, but the need of the hour is CBMs across the country, to improve public acceptance and government credibility. Its time for the government to stop passing the buck to the poor scientists (pun intended)!

Technology vis a vis Safety

The latest WHO report has people wondering how safe their mobile phones are and whats the risk of developing brain cancer... I am surprised the news is hogging so much space on prime time because there is nothing new in the report and the report also says they need more data to make a direct co-relation between cancer prevalence and mobile phone use! We all consume so many things that are carcinogenic like coffee, for example. All of us know the harm caused by alcohol on liver and cigarettes on the lungs. Have any of these come down?

But I look at this brouhaha as a positive development. Now the activists have another product to be "against":-). Looking back, I am glad we now have news reports of the safety concerns of nuclear energy, mobile phone use etc. Earlier, the activists were not educated on these issues and they thought that genetically modified crops are probably the only dangerous products in the world.

People will now wake up to reality as it is. Life is tough and with increased technologies and constant need of man to want easy and cushy lifestyle, we are exposing ourselves to different risks. I must say that the developers of new products do undertake rigorous testing and quality checks before commercializing a product. So, as educated citizens / government policy makers, we need to weigh the risks / benefits of any technology and strengthen safety and regulatory mechanisms for any and every technology. And not discard any technology (the recent decision by the Germans to close down all their nuclear reactors can be likened to pressing a panic button).

Some of the commonly used modern lifestyles that causes harm to the environment but we still use are driving cars; using jet planes, burning fossil fuels, generating tonnes of e-waste, producing more babies than the earth can hold, mining indiscriminately, building huge dams, etc. etc. The next time some activist talks about GMOs, you are now informed and armed:-)

Paradox: The Misinformed are more Articulate!!

People who know the subject rarely speak out and media rarely takes the trouble to speak to the real experts!! Often, we get to hear from only the half baked, and misinformed "so-called experts". Lets take the nuclear reactors in Japan as the first case... Apparently, they are not nuclear accidents, or radiation leaks, rather planned and scheduled standard procedures, when a nuclear reactor is shut down under emergencies!! Since there is excess heat within, caused due to the fission experiments that have suddenly been stopped, these are planned releases to cool these reactors. How many of us are aware of this fact?? Without understanding the Chemistry and Physics of it, we rush to conclusions and cause panic and fear amongst the public.

Most of us are fed with overdoses of panic and rumours of nuclear radiation and disasters with far fetched stories of  radiation travelling to Phillipines and  then to India!! How much more hilarious and stupid can we get? Its these same morons who want a better quality of life and conveniences and want India to become a well developed country. Conveniences mean more energy requirements, plain and simple. All of us want a good life and good comforts but little to we realise that such growth and conveniences have energy requirements. These past few days have many up in arms over India's nuclear energy plans and will no doubt stall and slow down the plans for increased nuclear capabilities.

Today, another story that caught my eye was about a NGO sending a veggies cum fruit hamper to our Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh. Nothing wrong with that, except, that the reason for sending it is all wrong. Apparently, our PM mentioned how genetically modified Golden Rice can help reduce Vitamin A deficiencies, in India. Immediately, our so-called "informed experts" cry foul and a NGO thinks they are the only educated Indians who care for their fellow citizens and the environment. The Scientists who develop the technology are made out to be villains who don't care for human health, leave alone environment! Scientists, today, according to the ill-informed activists, particularly in India, are the new age Monsters and Asuras who are out to destroy nature and have "evil intentions". One expert quoted in the article today, apparently heads the Department of Biotechnology in his College and speaks against Biotechnology!! What an irony?? His students have my full sympathy. He is quoted as saying that one needs to consume 9 kg of rice per day to meet the Vitamin A requirements. What a joke!! He needs to first go and get updated on the technology before educating his students and the public. Being in this area I know he is talking about an older version but the current golden rice requires a human being to consume only 144 gms of rice to meet the daily requirements of Vitamin A, but imagine the average person on the street, is going to believe this trash.

And the media also laps it up and publishes such crap. This always has me worried and concerned. How is it that the half baked experts are louder than the fully baked? How come the activists are more articulate and get quoted in the media, than the scientists? Why are scientists not publishing articles refuting the rubbish that is dished out in popular media? These questions are very discomforting and I wonder if there is hope at all.

Perfect Indian

I chanced upon reading a humorous post on genetically modified humans by Anand Ramachandran. Its hilarious and written in good style. Ofcourse its sci-fi but our own apna stuff, not borrowed from West. I just realised that we have a dearth of sci fiction writers and if you notice, all good fiction that we read or watch as movies are from the West. Wonder why a Mani Ratnam or Karan Johar can't make a good science fiction movie? Surely, audiences will love them. If people can go and watch a theme that's as beaten and boring as Raavan, any averagely made science fiction will be a hit.

I loved "Lord of the Rings", "Star Wars" series, and stand alone flicks like "The Time Machine", "2001, a Space Odyssey", "Extra Terrestrial", "The Fly", "Contact", "Men in Black", "The Matrix" etc. This is not an exhaustive list, just a few that I remember. 

Here's to many more Anand Ramachandrans in India, maybe, we need to clone a humour /sci fi gene into Indians:-)

Interesting Insights

I attended an interesting lecture by Prof. M.S.Swaminathan tracing the transformational change that Sir Charles Darwin's theory brought about in Biology, to the current scenario of Modern Biology and the tools to address Climate Change. While the presentation was brilliant and lucid, there were two messages in the lecture that stood out - apart from the theories and advances in Biology that was highlighted.

One, is the fact that Darwin set out on the voyage on the HMS Beagle and spent five years observing and recording his findings on that eventful trip. But he apparently took >22 years to analyse and decode his observations that he documented in his now famous book, "The Origin of Species". This goes to show what patience can bring to a research publication.

The other interesting insight was the relationship Charles Darwin shared with his wife. Apparently, she was a staunch Catholic and believed in the Creationist theory and didn't believe a word of what Charles Darwin wrote!!! But she very painstakingly edited his manuscript, as she had a good command over the English language and the couple agreed to disagree on the theory of Evolution. She maintained that she went by belief which was based on faith and, not logic and reasoning, that Darwin believed in.

Both these insights, rather these are very important lessons many of us need to adopt in our lives:-)

Disasters galore!!

Since April / May of this year, we have been having natural  and manmade disasters one after the other every other week.. Air safety seems to be at an all time low... Reasons attributed are crew fatigue, stress and such... While we had only one plane crash, the near misses and losing altitude planes scare the wits out of most of us... But what really beats me is the complete government apathy and callous attitude. There is no official who is pulled up and there is no owning up of moral responsibility among politicians either.

Meanwhile, India is going through a very tough time with Maoists causing havoc to trains. Natural disasters like cyclone Laila and now cyclone Phet ( to hit in the next 24 hours) have added to our woes.. Not to mention about road accidents, a recent one involving a bus that went up in flames and killed all 30 in Karnataka.  

We have a Home Minister who flip flops at the drop of the hat... "The Maoists did, the Maoists didn't do it, they did it, etc.." How sickening to read the papers everyday

But talk of Genetically modified crops, and you have all and sundry raise hell, and cry hoarse on safety issues and how dangerous it would be to commercialize it. While Bt brinjal will nowhere cause any death and destruction, its release is on hold, but flights continue to be operated with or without any care on passenger safety!! Apparently India stands only next to Africa in air safety records, which means we are pits:-)

But our fate rests on few elected and non elected members (RS nominations:-) who think they have the licence to kill or not kill innovation in India. I say its a case of fear psychosis when it comes to releasing Bt brinjal and the decision is not based on science but non science!

Are there Sinkholes in India?

Many of us are aware of sinkholes and their formation. The wiki says, they are fairly common and cause damage in parts of Florida, Kentucky, Missourie, Pennysylvania in USA. Apparently Michigan area has quite a number of them These have caught my imagination since the flooding in Guatemala city couple of days back. Apparently these are caused in places where the rock below the land surface is limestone, carbonate rock, salt beds, or rocks that can naturally be dissolved by circulating ground water. Also happens when water table falls dramatically etc..

These sinkholes can be huge and vary in size, from less than 1 to 300 metres (3.3 to 980 ft) both in diameter and depth!! Must be quite awesome sight to suddenly have sinkhole formed overnight, like its happenned in Guatemala city. But for Indians, we will be probably not so much in awe:-). We are so used to caving in happening in main arterial roads in cities (there is one near our house where the road always caves in even after they relay the road - its happenned so often, in the same place) and pathetic conditions in rural areas that natures' ways sometimes don't cause the wonder and amazement that it should:-).

Interesting insights

I happened to have very interesting conversation with a person from pharma R&D and we got chatting. I casually asked him his views on trials and placebo effect and then on the recent GM technology debate in the country. I asked him what the reasons could be for people to easily accept GM technology derived drugs but not GM crops. He said the difference is with drugs, its the doctors who decide for the patients whereas when it comes to food, the consumers decide. When I asked him about doing chronic toxicity testing over 30 year period as demanded by activists, he said, its not done for any drug and that there would be no new drugs in the market if that had to be done!!!

I knew this all along, just a re-affirmation from a person with 30+ years of experience in the field was reassuring. He also added that MNCs are all the more careful and stringent in their testing because they don't want to close down their operations with a wrong product. Obviously.. makes so much sense to me. I wonder what the problem is, with people:-). He then shared with me how an activist once began her lecture. She apparently said, "Drugs have killed more people than it has saved" !!! Can you make a more untrue statement? When she was asked in private if she really believed her statement, pat came the reply, "a little exaggeration is required to get attention". What is "little" pray??

Biodiversity

I recently was exposed to detailed information on the fertlilizer tree, Faidherbia albida. This tree, a native of Africa, seems to have attractive properties that can be a boost to agro forestry. One, its a tree, so it does not need to be grown and cut like we need to for Sesbania. Two, it sheds its leaves that serves as mulch for the crops, at the onset of monsoon. Three, its a nitrogen fixer and so replenishes nitrogen and the leaves threfore serve as fertlizers. Four, by shedding leaves for 3 /4 months in a year, the tree is in semi hibernation mode and therefore does not compete with the crops, for nutrition, light etc. So, it seems to have all the requisite qualities for agroforestry.

Amazing, isn't it? Apparently, its a tree that was used traditionally, but had over period of time, lost out to trends. There is  now a reversal of trend as with every sphere and people are now going back to using this tree in their farms. Apparently, considerable data is now available with us to validate this traditonal conservation agriculture, in terms of increased yields in maize /millet / cotton crop that had these trees in their farms.

I am truly fascinated by this tree and is further confirmation of the Beauty in this Creation

A ray of hope for Indian Scientists, at last!!

Finally, the PM has spoken on the Bt brinjal isue and I am indeed glad that good sense has prevailed. He has taken a firm stand and has clearly spelt out the need to have a time frame and not a moratorium as Shri Ramesh had decided. I am so glad. Readers must read the full article.  

Infact, after the circus of consultations across the country and the nonsensical arguments I was glad the commercial release of Bt brinjal was put off... because in the face of so much opposition, its better not to release the first edible GM product, the reason being, even a weather failure or wrong practices of the farmer would have been attributed to Bt brinjal as the villain:-)

Having said that, I was also concerned that the Minister fixed no time frame and did not identify the Institutes to do the tests he wanted nor did he specify on who the onus was to improve public acceptance. But this article in the Indian Express from the the PMO has really brought some light on this issue for us, scientists. I was so disillusioned these past few weeks that I was wondering the purpose of my research. Infact, I asked Shri Ramesh this very question of a need for time frame... He, as expected, evaded the question and said it could be weeks to months.. 

So, its party time folks!!

Genetic Engineering - I

Since there is so much talk about GM foods, here is an attempt to demystify the technique and explain the process and methodology.

What is a gene? A gene is a part of the DNA that codes for a protein. The DNA of an organism (genome) is huge and only ~ 5% of the genome codes for proteins. The remaining part of the genome is still an enigma for scientists and there are only theories and conjectures on their possible roles.

What is DNA? DNA is the hereditary material that is passed on, each time a cell divides and makes new cells. The main role of DNA molecules is the long-term storage of information. DNA is often compared to a set of blueprints or a recipe, or a code, since it contains the instructions needed to construct other components of cells, such as proteins and RNA molecules. DNA, is highly conserved and we share common genes and sequences across organisms, from bacteia to plants to animals. The simple dogma in genetics is - DNA contains genes, which in turn codes for protiens.

Through genetic engineering we clone one gene of interest, into the genome of the host cell and study the expression level of the cloned gene. For example, in my lab, we have cloned genes for conferring tolerance to salinity and drought. So, we have integrated these genes into local varieties of rice. We at first grow them in test tubes and then pot them and those plants having the desired genes, we collect seeds and monitor in subsequent generations.

I would like to emphasise here that plants that cannot grow normally and set seed are automatically weeded out in the laboratory itself.

That's it for now. Do let me know if this is in simple language or should I keep it more simple.. In my next post I will explain how we decide the more promising plants that we call transgenic plants, and screen them for gene expression.  

The DNA of GM foods... the Basics

I think its a good idea to explain the technology and as Julie Andrews would say in Sound of Music... "Lets start from the very beginning...."

So, I am going to start form the very beginning.... by explaining what DNA / gene / expression / modification etc... actually mean. I also intend to describe the process, in as non technical manner as possible, for easy assimilation. 

I ought to have done this much earlier and I am quite excited at the prospect of writing about it, now. Watch this space.

Science is the Casualty

I cannot but continue to post on the controversy surrounding Bt brinjal release. It really pains me to see that the so called 'consultations' that the Environment Minister is having across the country, has all ingredients except, Science. These consultations should have been held to share the concerns and thoughts of all stakeholders and have meaningful dialogues, so that everyone can benefit and misconceptions and myths can be cleared. However, Science has been taken out of the Consultations and its one big jamboree with people either 'for' or 'anti' Bt brinjal.

The very purpose of the Consultations have been defeated and there are many more misconceptions in people's minds today than there were before!! Secondly, our Environment Minisiter can also 'not' take the decision based on these Consultations. He has no locus standii to do so. The GEAC is a statutory body and he, at best can give his recommendations based on 'his consultations'. The whole thing has been a big waste of time and he will, at best ask the GEAC to conduct more tests and postpone the commercial release of Bt brinjal.

I would like the people who are against Bt, to also be against many other things, like nuclear energy, irradiation of foods to increase shelf life, GM medicines, all forms of allopathy including paracetemol to anti histamines as they can cause allergies in some people, cellphone usage (as it causes cancer), drinking tea / coffee, consuming milk as the cows and buffaloes are injected with dangerous hormones, travelling by air etc. etc. because, all these are either risky or have been linked to cause health hazards. 

6 Basic Emotions??

I want to draw your attention to this intersting article in New Scientist. It says "joy, sadness, anger, fear, surprise and disgust" are the 6 basic emotions that have characteristic facial expressions expressed the world over. But very interestingly, it lists 5 other emotions that vie for their place beside these Big 6, so to speak. These are elevation, interest, gratitude, pride and confusion.. But can't we recognise these 5 emotions when expressed? I can, for sure, identify these, in people. The article describes each of these five in some details.

Elevation: In the midst of last year's economic turmoil President Barack Obama's inauguration speech was powerful, inspiring stuff. Some of his supporters, hanging on his every word, will have had tears in their eyes, a tingling sensation on the back of their necks and a warm feeling in their chest as though it was opening up to let love and hope flood out. This feeling is what Jonathan Haidt at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, has labelled "elevation".Then the article very interestingly says, 'elevation' particularly, has been documented in people from Japan, India, the US and the Palestinian territories!! I wonder why?? I personally have felt this feeling each time I see my Guru, H.H.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

Interest: Your head tilts to one side, your speech quickens and the muscles in your forehead and around your eyes contract as you become engrossed in mastering a bassoon sonata, understanding the thermodynamics of the universe, or perhaps just browsing your stamp collection.

Gratitude: Sara Algoe of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has found that gratitude makes cohabiting couples feel more connected.The grateful feeling is a signal that we should get to know them better as they are the ones likely to be there for us in the future. So, once you are in a romantic relationship, feelings of gratitude serve as a little reminder of how great your partner is.

Pride: The conceited, arrogant feeling of pride has been called the deadliest of the seven deadly sins. Yet pride can also be noble. We all know the contented sense of achievement and self-worth that comes with having done well at something, whether it be achieving a promotion, building something, winning a race or figuring out a cryptic crossword clue.

Confusion: It's a feeling we have all experienced, whether in a lecture theatre, an art gallery or wandering around an unfamiliar city, but confusion is tricky to describe. Dacher Keltner at the University of California, Berkeley, suggests that it is the "feeling that the environment is giving insufficient or contradictory information".

Going Green!

Just discovered another new product to reduce our carbon footprint, at an individual level. All of us use printers at work /home and since low cost re-fillers are bad and unreliable, we all resort to buying new HP cartridges, although they are prohitively priced. But we now have an alternative to buying new cartridges - a company that reconditions and recharges the used cartridge at half the cost and comes with a 100% guarantee and a money back option in case we don't like the product. They even claim to replace the printer in case their product causes any damage to the printer! Tall claims, yeah?? I thought so too... But I am now convinced that this is the way to go, for cartridges. You must all check their website http://www.cartridgeworld.in/ for more details. They have information of how this contributes to saving our planet and reducing our oil consumption!

I  visited their store at Kodambakkam (kodambakkam@cartridgeworld.in) and am impressed with their professional service.

Bt brinjal - Ban or Boon

I would like to draw your attention to a very nice Commentary written by Prof. G. Padmanaban from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, that goes by the same title as this post. He has very elegantly brought out the issues with Bt brinjal in the current context, for easy reading and assimilation for even non science people. He very clearly explains the results and tests done to ensure human safety. And very importantly, he brings out a very important point that I have also been emphasising.... Scientists are as concerned for human safety and will therefore ensure adequate and appropriate testing before applying for commercial release.

This in my opinion is a very important point. Why would scientists deliberately bring out a wrong technology?? To earn a bad name for themselves and Science?? It really beats me how and why the activists make the scientists to be in-human?

The other valid points he raises in the paper are the suggestions to the Government of India and policy makers to put in place systems in the country, that would ensure appropriate use of genetically modified crops.

Such articles and papers are very good and needs to be published in newspapers, internet websites, magazines for wider circulation and understanding for all. Since I am involved in this kind of research I am only too aware of the fact that the world is too polarised on this subject and there are far too many myths and wrong information being maliciously spread by activists in the name of 'educating the masses'. More appallingly, many times I have been asked my media persons, indirectly of course, if I get funding from the MNCs to speak "for" GM - food!!

Here is an appeal to readers to educate themselves and I look forward to many more such papers that offer constructive suggestions and solutions rather than telling us "don't do this". As my Prof always says, the subtle shift in our mindset from "Don't do - ecology" to "Do - ecology" is the need of the hour.

Bt brinjal - Consultations in India - a circus?

I know you all know my views on this subject and I am not going to talk about that here:-). Refer to my previous posts from the label - Science. But, I have serious concerns on how policy decisions are being taken in the country. Our Environment Minsiter Shri Jairam Ramesh very grandly announced that he will tour the country and hold consultations on the Bt brinjal technology and its implications before commercialization. Very nice, one would say at first. But going by what's happening in West Bengal and Orissa, its like a big drama being enacted out there... I mean a stage managed show, by both the activists and companies. Both sides are engaged in getting 'x' number of farmers and scientists to support their claims and Science or Consultation has taken a back seat:-).

I know we live in a democracy and its all very nice to have all voices heard but this Consultation is probably the best joke of the month! So much of money and time is being spent on this and the outcome is nil. Jairam Ramesh is not going to get enriched with information in this process, at best, he will know who is on whose side:-).

Our government has taken and keeps taking so many decisions everyday, I wonder, why this Consultation approach is not being taken by other Minsitries.. I was just thinking how such meetings would be...

Our Finance Minister decides to hold consulations ahead of his budget to get the feel of people's feedback on taxes... Wherever he went, he had the Corporate lobby propping up people who spoke about reducing taxes to Companies. Then there was the lobby that had people speaking about reducing taxes at individual level. And there were the farmers' lobby (how can you forget them) who demanded more sops to do corporate / contract farming:-).

Not to be left behind, our Railways Minister also decided to hold Consultations ahead of the Rail Budget. Wherever she went, people demanded new trains from their state to Delhi. Many demanded creation of new railway divisions in their state! If all suggestions were taken seriously, she would have to introduce atleast 100 new trains in the current year!!

Is this the right approach to take, by Ministers? Oh yes, talking to all stakeholders and studying in depth, the subject are all important and must be done... but these kind of consultations on Bt Brinjal, at best, can be described as a circus:-)

Coconut palms

I visited coconut palms at many places in the coconut belt of Tamil Nadu, mainly Udumulpet, Pollachi, Anamalai. I learnt so many aspects to coconut cultivation, traditional talls versus dwarfs versus hybrids.. I got to meet different kinds of farmers, all very progressive and serious about farming and yet with some distinctness.. Oh yes, I feasted on delicious tender coconut and had no regular water for more than 10 hours!!

It maybe so fashionable to criticize hybrids but I could see these farmers enjoying the benefits of hybrids and the difference it has made to their quality of life. Some farmer said he educated his children in Engg college, now owns a petrol car, all thanks to these palms. One said, he has developed a coconut resort in one portion of his field from the profits derived from these palms. All in all, they were glad they were using hybrids because the conventional trees gave them no profits, just allowed them to break even!

There was one particular progressive farmer who seemed to know so much about crops, farming, issues pertaining to agriculture in India, food crises that is looming large in India etc etc... He was a living walking encyclopedia:-). He was so well read, it would have put many scientists to shame!! I would have liked to spend a day with him but I could spend only two hours with him.

My perspectives on farmers have rather been vindicated and I would certainly jump at more opportunities to interact with them