Pune is and will always remain special to me, I fall more in love with this city every time I visit it, and luckily every time I visit it, I discover a new facet of the city, sometimes known and sometimes unknown. This time I had the opportunity to visit National Film Archive of India and spend a couple of days there, thanks to a friend who goes there to do research for the film he is making.

National Film Archive of India (NFAI) was established in 1960s by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, to preserve the heritage that is being created in the form of cinema both national and international, to be a source for research on cinema and to disseminate film culture in India and to promote Indian cinema internationally. It is headquartered in Pune with regional centers in Bangalore (I never knew this was next door in Koramangala), Kolkata and Trivandrum. In Pune it is located on Law College Road road, a relatively serene area, in an old bungalow with an add-on building. It was initially a part of FTII (Film & Television Institute of India), but is now an independent organization by itself and is one of the leading film archives in the world.

NFAI is a repository of films of importance, award winning films, popular films from India and abroad. They are preserved in a basement facility, where the required temperature and humidity are maintained for the old films. A new facility is being planned for the new films as well. What is interesting is that all these films are regularly tested manually for any damage. There are 8 tables where 8 people can test 8 films in parallel. It is interesting to see how they do it, wish I could take a picture of it, but it is not allowed to take pictures inside.

There is a well stocked library with all possible books and periodicals on films. Most of the books are put of bound for the visitors, so I could not go through and feel the books. There are popular and more recent books that are in the outer shelves of the library which you can take from the librarian. You can refer to popular magazines in their earlier versions. I went through some of them published more than a decade before I was born and it was a pleasure to read them.

They were focused on the stars and the popular cinema, but they still talked about the craft of cinema and the work done by the artist. They do talk about their personal lives, but in a very dignified way and within limits. There are in-depth articles about the changing times, and imagine in early sixties they had a series of articles talking about the deteriorating state of music in Indian cinema and there was a detailed analysis of each of the music directors and their work and how it has changed over last decade or so.

Apart from the preservation of material around films NFAI also does some other interesting activities like:
• Organize film appreciation courses regularly along with FTII and other educational institutes
• Run a film distribution library for members
• Provide a 26 seater preview theatre to pre-view the films
• Provide 350+ seater theatre for screening of films
• Be a venue for hosting the regular / theme based film festivals
• Run a film circle which has a screening of film every Saturday, for which membership is open to public
• Encourage study and research on films. They also offer fellowship for the same.
• Maintain censor records
• Provide basic search on Indian movies, though here I think they need to get savvy like IMDB.

NFAI invites everyone to contribute to the national archive. If you have any rare pictures, tapes, press clippings, song booklets, film posters or anything that should be preserved for the future generations, you can send them to NFAI and they would make a copy of it and make it a part of archive.

Thanks Sand for introducing me to this wonderful place.

Image Credit: Pedrosimoe

Popularity: 18%

Malappuram district is one of the wealthiest districts in the state of Kerala. Replete with natural resources – rubber plantations, coconut trees, herbs etc. and some breathtaking sceneries, Malappuram is one of the hidden treasures of Kerala. There is abundance of money – pouring in from the Gulf countries and the many Keralites who have settled abroad.

Despite all the money and infrastructure available, Malappuram is also one of the most backward in terms of education. There are plenty of schools around but children don’t find a reason to go to schools for a variety of reasons – poor management, bad teachers, poor infrastructure etc among the many.

Deepa Narayanan is an exception, though. Deepa Narayanan is a 13 year old girl studying in the 8^th standard in the Cheekode High School in Cheekode Panchayat near Kondotty in the Malappuram District. Deepa wants to study and become a doctor. Her father, Narayanan Nair, is a waiter at Kadavu resort, and doesn’t have the resources to purchase her regular syllabus books – leave alone additional reference materials. Deepa’s future looks uncertain and her dream of becoming a doctor will only remain a dream.

Who is to be blamed ?

The father who toils day and night to give a brighter future for his kids ? Or the government which lacks farsightedness – not to have created an efficient library system in Kerala or for that matter in India?

This is not a case in isolation. In fact, all over India across thousands of villages and cities, there are thousands and thousands who are in a similar situation not able to afford the bare minimum books required to study further and be one among the shining stars of India, for no fault of theirs. Even if there are any public libraries, the way they are maintained speaks volumes of the misuse of public money with absolutely poor infrastructure, unqualified librarians, lack of technology etc.

My vision 2020 for India is to set up unparalleled library system all across India where every citizen of India can freely access books and educational material free of cost. A public library should be made available every 5 square kilometer in populated areas.

The benefits of an advanced library system are invaluable – Employment opportunities, infrastructure development etc to name a few. This is besides a stream of talents that churn out from the remotest places in India, trying to compete and take India to the next level. The faster the concerned authorities realize the better for India.

I have seen it work in the United States. There is no reason to believe that it will not work in India. Yes, it calls for funding, infrastructure, manpower, technology, planned sourcing etc. So what ? What are the Tatas, Ambanis and the Mittals doing with their billions? Or when will the government account for proper utilization of resources. Isn’t it only appropriate that the money is better utilized for initiatives like this?

There is so much of wealth created in India that setting up a library system of this magnitude should not pinch the government or the private sector, to say the very least. I’d like to see someone take ownership of something like this and set a strong foundation for the India of tomorrow so that we could see thousands of Deepa Narayanans blossoming.

Image Credit: bslavin

Popularity: 38%

India is labeled as the land of history, glory, diverse cultures and their values.

It is known for its people who are humane, believers of god, conventional and conservative. But, lately all this is being proven different. Indians are now not conventional and conservative but are being prone to changes. They are breaking through their limited thinking capabilities and are now adapting different lifestyles.

Western cultures wallop Indian way of lifestyle with a great deal. People are now inclined towards conforming to a very easy way of living life with no tags attached.

Live-in relationships, one night stands, dating, pubs, discos are pretty common and popular in metropolitan cities of India. The way people dress themselves has drastically changed. Sarees and kurtas which are traditional attires of India are now being worn in theme parties and fancy dress competitions. Some of us even feel hesitant to speak our mother tongue to our own natives instead we prefer international language.

There is more to this kind of lifestyle which can only be seen and experience to get into terms with. I am sure that our cultural values are being given importance in rural parts of India. While, people from rural parts of India are busy with farming and agriculture to provide us our nutrients at the background, we are the ones on the foreground representing India in a very different way to the whole world. The way which is completely adapted and neither true nor real.

As a person of present world and with modern thinking I understand that sometimes living with India’s written cultural rules is difficult. Thinking practically and blending into the ways the world is now working, is proving to be an intelligent way of living life.

While I have a comprehension of how important it is to keep up with the standards of life style of recent times, I was wondering that if we are crossing our limitations and thoroughly abridging our cultural values.

We would not prefer using Windows Version 1.0 at this time instead of Windows XP, VISTA, MAC for some people and yes yes UBUNTU (for you Linux folks). We only read about the older versions in books or get a glimpse of them on the Internet, just to have an idea but, not to use them. I am concerned and scared that even our historic and cultural values will become limited to the books/Internet. I am concerned about these values totally wearing out.

What if tomorrow my kid is interested in new game of his Xbox or YBox than the dusted history books? Will he understand the importance of Indian culture? And if this is the case with my kid, then what about my grand kids and future generations? Can India sustain this risk? Can the culture of our country be retained without fading away? I will strive hard on an individual level and will try my best to stop this from happening. I am sure you will too. Thank you.

Image Credit: CooperativeIndividualism

Popularity: 14%

If you invest in tax saving schemes right now, you can get your money back early. For example: If you have planned to invest in Fixed Deposit which can’t be withdrawn for 5 years, if you deposit today you will get your money back in 2013 December and you can use this money for tax investment again. Where as if you save it in March, you will get it back only in 2014 March and you will have to again go in search of cash.

Most of us spend all the cash in hand all through the year and try to find some cash in March. If we don’t find cash in March then your tax plan will go wrong.

Some people are of the opinion that even if I save on 31st March it will still come under this financial year, but this is not clever thing if you are trying to invest in Tax Saving Equity linked funds (ELSS) or Public Provident Fund. You will stand to loose 4 months of interest free income.

Some of us will wait till the year end to submit the medical bills or bills of books purchased for research etc. There is a chance of bills getting lost. It’s better to submit these bills every month to the concerned department in your office.

What about the investments I have made in the financial year ?

Before making any tax saving investments, it is always better to review the investments you have already made in the current financial year. In case you have made investments through Systematic investment planning (SIP), or already contributed to PPF, add all the amounts and plan for the remaining amount.

Get your calculations right:

• For employees there is PPF and it will anyway come under Section 80C. Some employees also would have taken health insurance, life insurance, or group insurance policy. First calculate the amount you have already paid towards premium.
• For those who have taken home loan, calculate the EMI you have paid for all the months. See the interest and principal component in that. You can get the principal paid on the loan exempt under Section 80C. You can claim exemption on interest up to 1.5 Lakh per annum.
• Also take into consideration, the tuition fee you have paid for your kids (allowed only for 2 kids).
• Take into consideration all the above and then decide on the amount for which you have to do tax planning.

• After all your tax planning is done if you are falling under 10% tax bracket and tax payable is not less than two to three thousand, it’s better to pay the tax instead of making investments only for saving these two or three thousands.
• Accounts folks in your office would have already informed you the amount of tax payable. Once you have calculated the amount invested so far, return from the amount invested, and the amount to be invested, all that you need to decide is to where to invest.
• If you don’t have the appetite to take risk invest in National Savings Certificates and Bank Fixed Deposits and if you are planning to invest for long term, put your money in Public Provident Fund.
• If you have the ability to bear risk, invest in Tax Saving Funds or ULIPs.

Instead of investing your money at once, it’s better to choose SIP and invest in 5 equal installments.

Image Credit: Kevin

Popularity: 21%

This time they are after shaking up the Internet and broadband market of India. Reliance Infocomm has forged an alliance with 5 hardware vendors to offer free laptops with Internet to their customers.The companies, which have entered into this agreement, are Acer, Asustek, HCL, Infosystems and Lenovo.
What we are referring to here is the brand new offer that Anil Reliance Infocomm wants to bring to table for India. 

Image Courtesy: Engadget.com

These devices are expected to have Intel’ ‘Atom’ processor. While it is still not very clear whether these would be a laptops or custom net books, it is very clear that they are soon hitting the market. Acer however seems to have confirmed that it providing net books for this deal.

Reliance believes that with only 12 Million Internet subscribers there is huge potential to take Internet penetration to next level. It is very likely that Reliance would create the sensation that it created in mobile market as this whole deal is priced at Rs. 1500 a month with a contract of 2 years.

While Reliance is doing this, certainly rest of the players in the market will shift gears to do something similar and hopefully consumers will stand to benefit from this.

Very eager to see whole country going Internet savvy! Go Reliance Go!

Popularity: 17%

The second book, One Night @ The Call Center, happened when I was in a train one night, going from Chennai to Bombay. I was already depressed – my first ever visa application to the UK had got rejected. I don’t know why but I always wanted go around and see the whole of Europe right from my childhood. Well, this 2^nd book gave me good company all the way through Bombay, switching off lights only when the co-passengers got irritated with them.

A few weeks ago, I met a few of my old pals at a bookstore. One of them suggested the 3^rd mistake!!! Oops!! The 3 mistakes of my life, the third book by Chetan Bhagat. I had loved reading the first two books.  I finished this one too pretty fast. Considering the lousy reading speed I have, this one indeed was quick, say a week J. This book throws light on various aspects, some real and some imaginary (the typical Bollywood masala type), some of them being the India-Australia test series of 2002, or is it 2001?

The amazing victory over the Aussies, the Godhra Incident, a love story, protocols (one of the greatest or most sensitive protocols that no Indian guy should break – that of not eyeing on your friend’s sister – never attract or get attracted your friend’s sister, especially if its your best friend and all the more if he is stronger and more muscular and more moody and more powerful (and more…well the list goes on), etc. Well some protocols we Indians have to maintain. I completely agree to this protocol, although I personally believe in ‘No Rules’. Even then it’s safer to stay out of such obvious troubles. And yes, the book also talks about the different mistakes the friends make which cost them dearly, circumstantial prices they had to pay at various points in life.

The best part I liked about this book is the way the author describes different passions people have, in fact completely different ones among the best of friends. One of the three friends is passionate about business; the second one is passionate about religion and third one about cricket.

The author also depicts to what extent people stretch themselves in order to achieve/realise their dreams. I say hopes arise from dreams and realization happens only if one is passionate about the whole deal.

On the whole I loved this book and would recommend anyone/everyone to read it. For at least the beginners like me, it’s definitely a great book to get started with.

Popularity: 27%