Elusive Higgs

"Higgs field and Higgs boson are very significant as these are the ones those possibly cause different masses to different sub-atomic particles"

There are two schools of thought regarding the properties and behavior of sub-atomic particles.One supports ‘standard model’ and the other supports ‘Higgsless model’.Standard model strengthens the idea of existence of Higgs field in the universe while the Higgsless model opposes this idea.By the way, what is higgs field? what is higgs boson or god particle? how are they significant? what is going on in LHC at CERN? To get the answers, go on reading….

Higgs field is a hypothetical field proposed by peter Higgs during 60s  in response to various challenges  to explain the particle nature in the Universe.His proposal is that there exists a field all over the Universe ,even in vacuum ,which causes different masses to different subatomic particles.This field is named after Higgs  which is like any other field such as magnetic field,electricfield etc.Higgs boson is a fundamental particle of higgs field just like electron in an electric field.This hypothesis ,if proved correct ,vindicates the stand of ‘standard model’ and provides new momentum to chase the mistery of mighty universe.

Higgs field and Higgs boson are very significant as these are the ones those possibly cause different masses to different sub-atomic particles.For instance, mass of electron is less than mass of neutron because the higss boson in the ubiquitous Higgs field offers more resistance to neutron movements than electron and causes greater inertial mass to nutron.And this explains the missing link in understanding  particle nature in the Universe.Higgs boson is said to have more mass than any other particles like electron or neutron.Greater the mass the more instable it becomes and readily disintegrates.Thus the Higgs boson particle is not a stable particle that can be watched easily.To capture this we need to create special conditions.

This is what is exactly  being done in the Large Hadron collider(LHC) at CERN(french abbreviation) i.e European organisation for nuclear research.LHC is a high energy particle accelerator which simulates the condition for high energy proton-proton head on collision.This collision is said to release huge energy and makes way for the appearance of Higgs boson for a sufficient enough time to capture it on film.LHC is in a circular shape of circumference  27 km, built 175 m beneath Geneva.LHC is not only to find the existance of Higgs boson but also to unravel many more secrets of the universe hitherto unknown.

Recently on 13th of December an experiment was conducted in LHC.Through this scientists could arrive at insufficient clues to the existence of Higgs boson.They are gearing up for another move by learning from past experiences.Possibly Higgs boson’s fate would be decided in a couple of years.We need to wait and watch.Whatever may me the outcome of these experiments ,that marks another leap forward by the mankind in comprehending the Universe.

ARABIAN FIGHTS.......

"Arab spring is a historical event that marks the beginning of a new era .This entire event would definitely change the way the world looks at this region"

A historical movement is at its culmination.Possibly Syria,yemen are next  to fall to the  middle class might.This is a progressive change but there are many doubts about the future of these countries.The inherent threat lies in the active participation of islamic fundamentalist elements in this process.Could they successfully build modern democracies like Turkey,Malaysia or they end up making more Pakistans and Afgnistans.This is the big question in the offing.

In the  hindsight ,it is conspicuous that the predominant force in these movements  were educated youth and middle class.This shows the potential of the people especially middle class.Their power to topple the most cruelest regimes is worth noting.Even in India ,we recently  witnessed  the same kind of response against corruption  in a varying degree.Educated middle class is  warning the government and politicians that ‘see , we are watching every act , wont tolerate even the minute misdoing of yours ,will strike hard if things are not handled properly’.This is a progressive development .

Coming back to MENA(Middle East and North Africa) region , Tunisia marked the begening of the revolution. Self immolation of a vegitable seller  due to the distress caused  by the economic conditions and police brutality is the trigger.Within a month, protests spread  like a wildfire  across the country and made Ben Ali to flee .After several months,  Tunisians could successfully elect a new government of Ennahda party which has islamic origins.Despite being islamic,the current state of affairs hints the formation of new constitution which envisages a  liberal democracy.This  is a good ending.

Taking inspiration from the Tunisian event  ,Egyptians intensified their protests.The importance of social media in this process is worth mentioning.Facebook,twitter played a crucial role.Initially  Mubarak seems to be suppressive but eventually  could not withstand the might of middle class.He was forced to resign and put under trail.The Military which helped the protesters could win a soft corner in the public .It paved the way for it to subsequently took over the government.But here Salafist muslim elements which were deep rooted in Egyptian society are hindering the progress.’Muslim brother hood ‘, a fundamentalist  organisation which played a crucial role in the revolution  seems to occupy the center stage in the government.This narrowed the hope for a liberal democracy .

Our past and present  experiances tells us that  fundamental islamism is a stumbling block in  the roadway to progress.It should be tackled not with force but with the spread of modern education.The remedy is to spread modern education rapidly in these areas where  religious extreemism is prevelant.Development is another key that holds a great promise.

Libiya is the recent to fall in line. Witnessed a boody civil war due to severe resistence by its cruel dictator Gadafi.This event clearly shows us that anybody howsoever powerful  cannot  rule against the wishes of the people.If he has done so, would meet a brutal end like this.The other authoritarian regimes across the World should learn a lesson from here.

The future prospects of  Libiya seems bleak.Here the population is divided on ethinic grounds.The rule of Gadafi has perpetuated this phenomena for long.This  effects the political stability which is very essential to build a modern democracy.Also there is a leadership vacuum which is accentuating the problem.We need to see how far  the west which helped in topling the regime can help in successfully  building a new democratic regime .

The role played by the west is very crucial in Gadafi’s fall.Perhaps, out of their vested interests ,they played an active role to topple the regime.Despite future uncertainties, by and large, justice has been delivered to the people who had suffered during last 42 years.But the brutal end of Gadafi is unfortunate .He might deserve a respectable death.  UNO(United Nations Organisation) once again proved that it is a useful tool in the hands of the west to force their will on the rest of the world.This strengthens the need for UNSC(UN Security Council) reforms.

In Syria the protests are intensifying but very brutally being suppressed by dafient Assad.Everyday news papers are pouring in reports on killing of civilians.Unlike Libiya,Syria is much more complex a issue to be dealt by the west .Because Assad got a strong support from middleclass traders and the military.And neighbouring Iran and Israel would also jump into the business if west intervenes.This would make entire region unstable.This region is supplying for most of the energy needs of the world .Any hasty action in the part of west puts world economic development at stake.Yemen is another case where things are very different.News reports are suggesting that Saleh is ready for peace talks.Incidents of violence are also being reported. Only time will tell how the story ends here.

To conclude,Arab spring is a historical event that marks a new era in the history of the world.This entire event would definitely change the way the world looks at it.This also opens up a wide range of oppurtunities to developing nations like India .We need to build up strong relationships with the new regimes in both political and economic spheres.The immediate step should be to offer help to these nacent economies in terms of training ,institution building,capacity building ,infrastructure and so on.This will pave the way to pursue our interests in this region in near future. 

"A project of this scale ,if failed ,could be fatal to the future of our country.So be warned!!!"

            An ambitious project AADHAR which was conceived by UIADI could be a revolution in transforming India if implemented properly.This is a mammoth project with huge complexities and resource requirements.One estimate says that to completely roll out this project it would cost around Rs.1,50,000 cr($33.45 bn).A project of this magnitude requires a thorough scruitiny of pros and cons and a carefull cost benifit analysis.Also there should be a carefully drawn out strategy of what to do and how to do.Has the  UIDAI  done enough homework to make sure to achieve the real moto of AADHAR?It is up to the reader to answer this question.

           In the words of Nandan Nilekhani(UIDAI chief) ,there is an urgent need to automate the interface between the government and citizen.According to him this is the area where corruption breeds.This is very right.Some examples for these interfaces are like ,application for a gas connection or ration card, receiving certain services like ration and compensation for crop damages and MNREGA wages etc.If we can restrict physical transfer of money direcly form govt to citizen most of the low level corruption can be checked. In this case I think Aadhar alone cannot do miracles.Recent Public services act(which has been adopted in many states) along with Aadhar  could be successful.

          The biggest question is how an Aadhar number can make this possible?The first thing that we hear more frequently about Aadhar is to revamp the PDS .Here the idea is to empower citizen vis –a –vis  FPS owners.it means ,BPL citizen can go to any FPS he wants and can get the ration by simply showing his aadhar number and giving his biometric details.This empowers the citizen from being exploited by a single FPS owner to whom the citizen belonged to.Yes ,certainly it is a good idea,but I think our policy makers(UIDAI officials) did not take into account certain villages which are very isolated and far from other habitations to avail the above benifits.Because they had to go to the only FPS available to them.

          There are 6 lakh Fair price shops present in India.There is a need to provide robust Aadhar infrastructure like biometric scnners, computers, printers,internet connection and skilled manpower in every FPS to integrate it with Aadhar.It would again place a huge burden on exchequer and also going to take very long time.Some people argue to the extent that it may not be possible practically.If it really so,it would be a great mistake in the part of govt.So there is an urgent need to chalkout a clear strategy (which is currently lacking now)  to implement all the stated goals of Aadhar .It has to place the implementation plan in public domain and take people into confidence.

          Also officials are talking about integrating all welfare schemes with Aadhar.This calls for the deployment of e-infrastructure at a large scale which is a very costly and time consuming affair.Unfortunately there is lot of ambiguity that what miracles an Aadhar number can do to the implementation of these schemes.UIDAI officials are also highlighting another aspect that creating bank accounts would become very easier and hasslefree with Aadhar numbers.This is a very good idea but does a BPL citizen really want to open a bank account?A honest answer to this question is "No".The Financial inclusion to be successful,more than issuing Aadhar number,in the first place we need to create more employment oppurtunities,education,financial awareness among the poor.

          Despite the above deficiencies,UID number would be very crucial in the current situation to strongly suppress the menace of terrorism and to strengthen the national security.It is also very much reqired to identify poor and destitute who are leftout from the development and to align them with the growth path.There are many countries in the world which are having the concept of UIDs to citizens.Some of them are  successful with them and some of them are not.It would be very much helpful for us if we study their experiences and use the knowledge here .

         The so called reforming of citizen-govt interface, which is very critical ,is not thoroughly analysed.There is no proper plan of prioritising and implementing things.This is a matter of great concern and a thorough public debate is required to discuss the strategy and its pros and cons.A project of this scale ,if failed ,could be fatal to the future of our country.So be warned!!!

Corruption and Lokpal

        CORRUPTION..............the first thing that comes to our mind is politics .But today its scope is much beyond this.It is deeply rooted in our society.In fact ,you and me are also among the list of culprits who are perpetrating this phenomina.You may wonder how.In the past,when we were applying for a DL,during the police verification for the passport ,we might knowingly or unknowingly indulged in this.In fact it became a custom.Even in corporate sector, we see people throwing gifts and parties to bosses to get the things done in their favour, this is nothing but corruption.

     The seeds of curruption were sown througout our evolution.Man being a utility maximiser, always tries to maximise his benifits .At times he compromises with ethics and morality.This is the source of corruption in the society.As per the current state of affairs,it seems to me that we reached to its culmination.It is high time that every one of us has to play our own part to envisage its peaceful demise.

    Coming to the current debate on Lokpal ,both the parties(team anna & govt) are partially valid in their view points.We cannot completly deny any one of them.Lokpal's jurisdiction vis-a-vis PM became a center point of the debate.This is a complex issue and worth a pragmatic insight.Nobody is above the law and PM is not an exeption to that.But if we bring PM under lokpal ,in a vast country like India with different shades of openions and views,every other day a complaint would be filed against PM and that follows procecution.In this kind of turbulant environment,how can a PM work upto his potential?And he being the supreme executive,entire administration would become disfunctional and unstable.It requires a serious debate in the parliament and accordingly a decision has to be taken.

     Next comes the judiciary.Our constitution vested a tremendous responsibility on judiciary to uphold the constitutional values in the society.And it is also very particular about separation of powers between the three pillers of state  namely executive ,legislature and judiciary.In such case,to what extent, is it appropriate to bring Judiciary under the purview of  a supreme Lokpal?

      Lord Acton(an eminent scholor ) very rightly said that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.What is the gaurentee that a supreme Lokpal as suggested by Anna and team would not fall prey of the corruption just like the way judiciary,executive,Legislature are suffering now?I am afraid,that it would become a Frankenstien's monster.

      I am not denying the necessity of any Lokpal kind of institution.But I beleive authority without accountability could lead to despotism.So there should be proper checks and balences to its power and authority.By the way, this is what our constitution says through "doctrine of separation of power".

     At the same time Lokpal cannot be a mere advisory body as conceived by the govt .It should be empowered to initiate procecution on its own.The entire govt mechinary should be put under its purview.Judiciary should be out of purview of Lokpal.Judicial suprimacy cannot be encroached upon as it is against to the basic structure of constitution.Present Judicial accountability bill will take care of judicial corruption.

      Finally,we should realise that the major problem does not lie in the tackling mechanism or laws which are in place, but  it lies in the people and the society where corruption breeds.Hence,onus is on every one of us to root out corruption which is directly or indirectly linked to our day today life.Then only the so called Lokpal could  be effective.   Yes,the movement has began and I am sure that it is just a matter of time to experiance a brand new corruption free India.

USA is trumbling!!!

      United Stated of America is trumbling.It is a bit hypothetical to say but nonthless it is true that the bad days have started for US way back in 2008.The recent Debt crisis and the consequent  downgrading of US govt. by 'Stndards and Poor ' is another step in the process.          
      This would have huge repercussions on the world as a whole as all most all the world powers are either directly or indirectly linked to US.The global trade is heavyly dependent on dollor.Any fluctuations in its value would severly impact the trends in trade.The countries which are dependent on US market may lose heavyly.China is one of them.Majority of its exports goes to US, it has to face tough times.                
       As far as India is concerned ,Our IT industry could face some problems as it is closely linked to US.Also our stock markets may go down but for a shorter period.But in the long run this would be helpfull for Indian markets in particular, and Asian markets in general as these are the best alternatives investment destinations to US in current scenario.Despite these facts,there is an inherent advantage for India in terms of crude oil.As the demand for it drastically goes down due to US recession,its price may fall sharply.This could be a great boost to our import bill as more than half of our imports by value is crude oil. This is a respite for indian economy and the current inflationary trends.The money which is saved in this process can be diverted to social sector.Thus this time there are more advantages than threats to India by the crisis.          
       USA is trumbling .It doesnot mean that all the people would go homeless,foodless or jobless .But it means that the hegemony of USA in the world economy is diminishing.In the short run this may create problems to the whole world .But in the long run it is not.Certainly the Asian gaints would fill this vacume .We should be happy that India is one among them steering the global economy from the front.