29: Prashant Kishor

20: Nalanda

Google+ Can't Die, I Have Posted Too Many Pictures

Geocities died and I lost a lot of my articles I had published there. Google Video died and I lost hundreds of my videos, most of them hour long. And now this rumor is unnerving me. I have thousands upon thousands of pictures on Google+. Not only that, it is my favorite photo sharing app. I really like its tight integration with my phone. I am squarely in the Android camp. ("I am a man of the people!" -- Laloo Yadav) Why would Google even think of killing Google+? Not only is it my favorite photo sharing app (I really like how photos from my phone upload themselves) I also greatly like the Google+ Communities.

Google+ Is Dying. What's Your Exit Strategy?

Wait, I did a search on "paramendra bhagat geocities" and look what I was able to dig up.

About Paramendra Bhagat (my first website)
Paramendra Bhagat
Writings by Parmendra Bhagat

I guess they are still there. Now if I only I could find my Google Video videos. But I doubt it. At the time I remember opting for Google Videos over the newly launched YouTube. I figured Google is a company that will still be around decades from now, and so my videos will be "safe!"

google video and nepal movement for democracy

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Bihari Floods

Bihar, where I was born, is prone to major flooding pretty much every year.

Sharing Flood Mitigation Strategies with At-Risk Countries

Deltas cover about 1 percent of the surface of the earth, but they are home to more than half a billion people and generally include major cities, harbors, farms, and forests. ... the proportion of world deltas vulnerable to flooding is expected to increase by 50 percent this century. The fastest change is that land is sinking. But seas are also rising, and rivers are disgorging more water during intense rainstorms.

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Public WiFi In India's Poorest State

This is monumental. Nitish has built many roads and many bridges to help Bihar catch up with the rest of India. But he needs to build public WiFi to help Bihar catch up with the rest of the world. And he is doing it. I am proud.

The entire city of Patna has to be turned into one free public WiFi zone. Bihar has to be turned into a world class knowledge economy.

There is no internet without electricity, and just like the Yellow River was turned from being the sorrow of China to a boon for China, Bihar and Delhi have to work in concert with Nepal to turn Kosi from being the sorrow of Bihar to a boon for Bihar and Nepal. All of Nepal's 200,000 MW hydroelectric potential has to be tapped for the benefit of Nepal and India. That would be the best long term solution to Bihar's energy needs.

I find Nitish endlessly inspiring. To those who say if democracy is the superior form of government, why is China growing so much faster, Nitish is the answer. Nitish Kumar's Bihar is growing much faster than China clocking at 14%.

Bihar Beats Beijing As World’s Longest Free WiFi Zone Opens In Patna

If you are travelling from Patna to Danapur, then between NIT-Patna on Ashok Rajpath to Danapur you can get absolutely free Wi-Fi connectivity. This 20 Kms stretch is the longest free Wi-Fi zone, anywhere in the world. ...... Recently, Bangalore became the first city in India to have free Wi-Fi zones. Named “Namma WiFi”, free Wi-Fi is available at MG Road, Brigade Road, CMH Road, and around the bus stations of Yeshwantpur, Koramangala and Shanthinagar. ..... Narendra Modi has promised that Ahmedabad will also have its own free Wi-Fi zones so has Delhi government assured us of this luxury. Before this, China’s 3.5 Kms long Wi-Fi zone was considered the longest but Patna has now overtaken this achievement. ...... eBihar summit where CM Nitish Kumar also inaugurated ‘Dial 100’ and ‘City Surveillance’ services wherein hundreds of CCTV cameras would be installed all over the city for better safety and security. A dedicated data center has been opened as well, which will store the data captured by these CCTVs all over the city. ........ a bid to make Patna crime-free. In a first of its kind, this project will enable CCTVs to capture vehicle numbers and person’s identity instantly, which would be shared all over the network to nab any criminal. Every vehicle entering or exiting the city would be monitored this way. ..... the state is rich in natural resources and human talent (maximum number of IAS officers are from Bihar) ..... CM Nitish Kumar is now forcing everyone to take notice of the new Bihar.

Bangalore Gets Free Wi-Fi , Starts With MG Rd & Brigade Rd

After ‘Namma Metro’ meaning ‘Our Metro’, Bangalore is all set to get something we all are dreaming of but never got - free Wifi, the first such service in the country, branded as ‘Namma Wifi’. ...... To access free wifi in the hotspots, users will have to open their browser, which will take them to the “Namma Wifi” page. They have to key in their mobile phone number to which a password would be sent. Once the password is keyed in, the user can browse the net free for 30 minutes in 24 hours. Users can expect internet speeds of about 512 kbps. ...... Plans are also afoot to provide similar service in Mysore, Mangalore, Hubli-Dharwad and some other towns in north Karnataka in the coming months. ..... One would have expected such services to start in Mumbai or Delhi first but this is a good move by the Government.

Maharashtra State Transport Buses to Offer Free Wi-Fi!

MSRTC will be installing wi-fi sets in around 100 Shivneri Volvo buses connecting Mumbai and Pune that will enable bus passengers to access internet completely free of cost. ..... Not only will these buses have Wi-fi, but will also be fitted with CCTV cameras and GPS tracking that will help in monitoring movement of buses from central control room as well as deter bag-lifters and thefts that are quite common on these buses. ..... MSRTC will cover the expenses of these extra features by offering advertising on these AC buses. ..... Internet will come to these Shivneri buses via direct satellite link-up.

Outernet: Free Internet to the World Via Satellites!

A New York based non-profit organization called Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF) has announced its intention to build an “Outernet”—a global network of cube satellites broadcasting Internet data to virtually any person on the planet—for free. The idea is to offer free Internet access to all people, regardless of location, bypassing filtering or other means of censorship. ...... Around 40% of the people in the world today are still not able to connect to the Internet— not just because of restrictive governments such as North Korea or China —also due to the high cost of bringing this service to remote areas. ...... An Outernet would allow people from Siberia to parts of the western United States to remote islands or villages in Latin-America or Africa to receive the same news as those in Los Angeles, New Delhi, Tokyo or Sydney. ...... In today’s digital age, the Internet has grown in size and importance – human rights organizations and others promoting freedom of expression propose that access to the information that the Internet can provide, is a basic human right. What they suggest is that restricting access to the Internet is a violation of human rights. ...... MDIF is proposing that hundreds of cube satellites be built and launched to create a constellation of sorts in the sky, allowing absolutely anyone with a phone or computer to access Internet data sent to the satellites by several hundred ground stations! ........ Project Lead of Outernet Syed Karim says: ‘We have a very solid understand of the costs involved, as well as experience working on numerous spacecraft. There isn’t a lot of raw research that is being done here; much of what is being described has already been proven by other small satellite programs and experiments. There’s really nothing that is technically impossible to this.’ ...... Such satellites typically run $100,000 to $300,000 each to build and launch. ...... deploying the initial CubeSats can be as early as mid-2015. Outernet project also aims to ask NASA for permission to test the technology on the International Space Station. ....... In this era of Edward Snowden, the veil of secrecy and shackles of capitalism should be atleast shaken, if not broken!

Now Free Internet access and Satellite television on Indian Rails

Two premium trains of India – Shatabdi and Rajdhani – will now be boasting on-board free internet and direct-to-home (DTH) services....... The premium trains have been consistently loosing market share over past couple of years to low cost budget airlines offering very competitive rates. In a bid to stem this loosing streak, the Indian railway minister is expected to announce many new initiatives including Free Internet access and DTH services. ..... The tourism ministry has been exploring the idea with the railways for launching at least 5-7 tourist trains as a large number of foreign tourists visiting India do not visit places beyond select destinations like Goa, Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. ..... The upcoming railway budget may also open up advertising opportunities on select trains. Under this proposal, which has been successfully implemented in the southern part of the country, companies will pay a fixed fee for advertising on the trains. ...... I had not expected much from Lalu when he was named the union Railways minister, however, in last 5 years he bought a sea-change in Indian railway services and kudos to him for doing that!
I personally love train journeys, but one of the reasons why I have preferred low-cost airlines in recent past was long train journeys break you off completely from the world – no TV, no Internet.

The 20-km free Wi-Fi zone in Patna is world's longest

Once known as a backward state, Bihar has made a strong bid for a mention on the world's infotech map as chief minister Nitish Kumar unveiled the 20km free Wi-Fi zone, the longest across the globe, at a function christened e-Bihar summit in Patna on Wednesday. Kumar also unveiled a 'city surveillance and dial 100' scheme under which at least 100 CCTV cameras installed in different localities of the state capital became operational. A state data centre has also been opened for storing of the 'data' collected by these cameras. ....... CM Kumar announced an IT City would be developed on a 200-acre plot at Rajgir. He also said the government has in principle approved an infotech building on a plot of one lakh sq ft and another on a plot of 5 lakh sq ft in Patna. Besides, an infotech park is coming up on the outskirts of the city....... "Our state should now be the IT industry's fave destination," he said. ...... The state's free Wi-Fi zone is the longest in the world since China's 3.5km zone was treated as the longest so far. The 'city surveillance and dial 100' project is first of its kind in the country as it integrates the surveillance of the city, vehicle tracking and dial 100 control centre schemes. An automated number plate recognition system has been installed on 11 roads, which will automatically note the registration number of the vehicles entering and exiting the city. "It was with this surveillance system's help that the Patna police rescued the son of a city-based trader from Ara within 24 hours of his kidnapping recently," CM Kumar said. ....... IT minister Shahid Ali Khan said free Wi-Fi facility would be provided at all the tourist spots in the state. Principal secretary (IT) N K Sinha said Bihar might be a late entrant to this sector but "we are on the cusp of IT revolution".

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For US high-speed rail, California project is bellwether

a route between San Francisco and Los Angeles will be a watershed moment for a transport concept that has yet to take off across America. ..... would race across California at up to 200 miles (320 kilometers) per hour ...... the 400-mile St. Paul-to-Chicago route takes a tedious eight hours and 16 minutes today, 90 minutes longer than in previous years

Congress open to special status for Bihar, engages JD(U) in tie-up talks
Modi's Gujarat: AAP state leaders quit amid confused signal from Delhi
AAP, BJP neck-and-neck for Delhi Lok Sabha seats: Survey
Arvind Kejriwal attacks ‘Narendra Modi-Ambani link', says 'Modi wave' a media creation

"Apparently, he (Modi) spends Rs50 crore on each of his rallies. He uses (Mukesh) Ambani's helicopter to travel from one city to the other. Modi claims he will bring back black money. But how can we expect him to take actions against Ambani's bank accounts abroad when he has accepted so many favours?" ..... shot down reports of "Modi wave" as media hype and articulated his party's national ambition as "at least 100 seats" in the parliamentary elections. The next government at Centre, he said, would not be formed without AAP's support. Kejriwal plans to hold a four-day roadshow in Modi's Gujarat with a big rally in Ahmedabad on March 7. ...... While UP is central to Modi's PM project, so is it for AAP's national ambition. The party's approach in UP is to focus on 15 Lok Sabha seats — including Meerut, Ghaziabad, Agra, Lucknow, Kanpur, Banaras, Allahabad and Gorakhpur — which are relatively urban in geography and where there is a direct contest between Congress and BJP. "We have projected ourselves as an alternative to the Congress and the BJP. So the 15 urban seats in UP, where the two national parties usually perform well, will be our priority," said Adarsh Shastri, grandson of ex-PM Lal Bahadur Shastri, in charge of formulating the AAP's vision document for UP.

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21% Growth Rate

Cover of Slumdog Millionaire [Blu-ray]

This is mind boggling. This defies all economic theories. This beats China at its peak. And he has been doing it through agriculture, primarily.

Bihar beats Gujarat, Maharashtra with 21.9% growth in 11th Plan

only Sikkim and Goa, which are much smaller in size than Bihar, have performed better than the state. .... 21.9 per cent during the 11th Plan spread over 2007 to 12. ... Sikkim recorded highest GSDP growth rate of 31.6 per cent ..... The worst performers include Jharkhand which recorded GSDP growth rate of 9.2 per cent .... During the 11th Plan, Gujarat grew at 16 per cent followed by Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh at 15.3 per cent each.

Slumdog Millionaire: A Movie About My People

I was born in Bihar.

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Blogging Works Wonders: Here's An Example

Image by Newton Free Library via FlickrSo I put out this blog post yesterday. Yes-ter-day.

Very Much Would Like To Go Into Bihar

And someone left a comment a few minutes back. Here's a team that is already doing microfinance in the part of the world that is of greatest interest to me: Mithilanchal in Bihar. Mithilanchal is two words, just like Paramendra is two words. Mithila + Anchal (Zone) = Mithilanchal. Param (The Great) + Indra (King of all the 300 million gods and goddesses in the Hindu mythology) = Paramendra.

Very Much Would Like To Go Into Bihar

Image via WikipediaI just sent an email to my top microfinance contact in India asking her to look into the "license to transact debt capital cross border" thing that Matt Flannery, one of the founders of Kiva, has raised in a Quora thread.

This is someone I am going to get onto my team. She will telecommute. She has four plus years of experience in microfinance in India in the Chennai region. This has been a good catch.

It is not like I am never going into India. And so if I am eventually going into India, how would I do that? And if I will do those things then, why will I not do those same things now?

I'd be very willing to lobby top politicians in Patna and Delhi as necessary. The Indian government just put tens of millions into microfinance. My message is, take that money and build schools, hospitals, roads. Let someone like me bring money from outside to put into microfinance.

Bihar, Darbhanga

Image via WikipediaI am increasingly thinking in terms of India. More specifically the great state of Bihar. Specifically my birthtown of Darbhanga. I am thinking in terms of Darbhanga as the place I want to start with.

I know the terrain. I know the state language, the national language, the local languages.

India has been the largest microfinance market in the world. Bihar is India's poorest state.

But I need to do my homework first.

Advantage India, Disadvantage India

Image via WikipediaI first thought in terms of India. An Indian does not need to look far and wide to find poverty. It's right there. It's right there in the backyard. India has the vast majority of the dollar a day, two dollars a day people.

I'd start out by knowing the culture. I'd know the language. And when I say that I mean to say English also, not just Hindi, not just Maithili and Bhojpuri. India is the biggest English speaking country in the world.

And there is the size. I could take the company IPO based just on Bihar. Bihar alone is that big. It would make sense to polish the basic business model in Bihar and then take it to Africa, rather than otherwise.

India is a vibrant democracy, the biggest in the world.

Top Discussion At A Top LinkedIn Microfinance Group

Image via WikipediaA discussion I started a week ago (and kinda forgot about) at a LinkedIn group with over 1200 members has become the top discussion at that group. The group is Microfinance Focus. This activity has made me take a serious look at LinkedIn for the first time. This thing is working, yo.

This has also made me look at India all over again. India was the country I started with in terms of where I wanted to go. But I was advised that the Indian government makes it very hard to bring money into the country. It is much better to start with some middle income country in Latin America. So I am thinking Costa Rica, more recently Paraguay. Much more recently I have been thinking Kenya. But I have had this gnawing feeling that a Bihari needs to be thinking Bihar.

Slumdog Millionaire: A Movie About My People

Met The Sixth Bihari

Cover of Denise RichardsI showed up for what I thought was a panel discussion on Assange and Wikileaks earlier in the day, instead much of the discussion was about denial of service attacks.

But the Q and A session surfaced the sixth Bihari I have met in America. The dude went on and on about how great Bihar was but global media, social and otherwise, had not been paying attention to the glorious history and greatness of the 80 million Biharis. It was one of those and your question is moments. My man. Fellow Bihari.

Slumdog Millionaire: A Movie About My People
Third World Guy

Slumdog Millionaire: A Movie About My People

A Mind Blowing Party

Jai Ho

I was born in Darbhanga, Bihar, India. I grew up in Nepal, did high school in Kathmandu, not my hometown. They absolutely hate Indians in Nepal. The Tamils in Sri Lanka also have it tough. They are also Indian origin.

Biharis end up in Mumbai like Mexicans end up in America. I have met a total of five Biharis in America. My mother is from Banjhula, Sitamadhi, Bihar. A maternal uncle of mine was Education Minister of Bihar in the 1990s when Laloo Yadav was Chief Minister. More recently Laloo was Railway Minister for all of India. India has the largest rail network in the world. Indian Railways is the world's largest employer.