Let there be Light, on the problems too

Corona virus is slowing spreading across the country & we are staring at a bleak future.

Of the many problems that we are facing, a few it could immediately think of:
- There's acute shortage of protective gear for doctors & other front-line workers. Do we plan to import equipment? If yes, will anyone give us now? What’s the plan?
- We haven't tested enough. I don’t think we have tested even 1% of our population is tested. What’s the plan for this?
- What's the plan for providing financial assistance to the daily labor & crores of common people who lost their livelihood.
- With shutdown, states are deprived of revenue & are staring at a huge mess. Many states stopped salaries to Govt employees & even pensioners.

Counter 1: FM Nirmala Seetharaman has announced a package of 1.7 lakh crores.
    - Go through the details of it & you will realize how big a joke it is. Not sure if even one citizen of this country benefited from it. And regarding the moratorium, Banks have understood from their own perspective & framed the rules such that no one will opt for it.

Counter 2: Aren’t the state CMs responsible for handling this?
   - Most of the problems mentioned above fall under the ambit of Central Govt. Many state governments have already stopped salaries to Govt employees & even pensioners. With empty coffers, they don’t have any bandwidth.

When PM announced that he will be addressing the nation, I was expecting that he will provide answers to these pressing problems. Instead, he asked to light diyas & explained the process of how to go about it. Had he addressed these issues first & then asked us to light diyas to show solidarity, I would have happily done it. Instead his speech is only about diyas. As citizens of this country, aren’t we supposed to know how these issues are addressed?

Dear PM, we have had high expectations on you & with things like these, next time when you announce that 'I will address the nation tonight', people started wondering & even predicting what could be the next ‘Big Boss’ task.

Yes, we may be doing better than many developed countries like UK & USA. But, shouldn't we compare with the ones doing better than us like Singapore, S.Korea, etc.

Am I asking too much?

Next enti?

Year: 2000
 Date: Don’t remember
 Location: Hindupur

Intermediate results vachaay…. Bota boti marks tho pass ayyanu (Chemistry lo 17*/60 vachaay) Total Inter marks: 616/1000…. Intha thaakuva vachaaye anukunna  Elaagolaa…. okka subject kuda fail avakunda Tenth & Inter complete chesanu 

Cut chesthe…. Scene shifted to Anantapur. Marks intha thakkuva vachinandhuku Pedhananna & Venkatesh chinnana class peekaru. Appudu theliyaledhu kaani…. Career per se, Intermediate is a very crucial. Nenemo friends, cinemalatho kaalam gadipesaanu. EAMCET short-term coaching ki Hyderabad vellaam….2 weeks anukunta – Me, Tinku & Vikram vellaam. Akkadiki vellaaka thelisindhi… manaku emi theliyadhani; ivanni time & dabbulu waste yaaparaalu ani. EAMCET 2000 exam – location: JNTU, Anantapur. Manam elaagu ikkade engineering chadhuvuthaam kaabatti manaku ee center vesadu ani friends andharu navvukunnam.

EAMCET results repu vasthaay – evening friends andharu.. 1st road lo bajjilu konukkuni. PTC ground ki velli… raaboye results gurinchi maatladukunnam. D-day: Results vachaay – naaku 39,000+ rank vachindhi. Tinku ki 50k+ anukunta. Maa friends andhari lo naadhe Top rank  Evening friends andharu kalisi… 1st road lo bajjilu konukkuni. PTC ground ki velli… vachina results gurinchi maatladukunnam.

Next enti?
Appatlo mana CM Chandrababu punyama ani there are Engineering colleges coming up in every nook & corner of the state. Maa friends lo kontha mandhi opted for Long-term EAMCET coaching. Mana thelivithetalu gurinchi baaga nammakam undhi kaabatti & already short-term coaching experience valla, ivanni manaku endhuku le… dabbulu bokka anukunna. Appatlo, BSRB bank exams baaga famous – edho oka Degree chesi….elaagolaa aa exam clear chesi, Bank employee aypovaali ani fix ayya. Meanwhile, Tinku kuda long term ki fix ayyadu. So, intlo andharu nenu kuda anthe anukunnaru. But, I told my decision – koncham shock ayyaru; but, nee istam annaru. Mana relative okathanu (Sid Justice) adhedho degree college lo lecturer gaa work chesevaadu. Don’t remember how it happened – but, aayana oka roju intiki vachi, vaalla college lo seat fix ani cheppadu.

Thalachinadhe jariginadhaa…. Daivam endhulaku?
Murthy mama ki matter thelisindhi – Anantapur vachaadu – oka araganta high range lo class… Inter lo marks gurinchi, ippudu decision gurinchi, ilaa rakarakaala topics meedha chedugudu aadesi…. Final gaa nannu kuda EAMCET long term ki vellelaa fix chesadu. Cut chesthe….Vijayawada - Sri Chaitanya college – Benz circle – Soudhamini Soudham (building peru) First day – Study hours anta… 5 floors building.. bayata varusagaa chairs vesi kurchobettaru….. Asale home sick – manaku ATP thappa bayata prapancham pedhagaa parichayam ledhu kadhaa. Inter lo sarigga chadhuvukuninte ilaa vache avasaramundedhi kaadhu kadhaa aniinchinchi. As days passed by, Hostel baaga alavaatu aypoyindhi….made lot of friends…racha rambola chese vaallam.

Chusthunda gaane EAMCET 2001 vachesindhi…. Exam baane raasanu. In fact, Chemistry (appatlo, 17 marks vachina adhe chemistry) became my favorite subject. Periodic table ayithe namili mingesa :-) EAMCET lo ee saari 14k+ rank vachindhi…. Gooty GATES lo free seat vasthundhi anaru – but, finally opted for payment seat in Intell college, Anantapur. Alaaalaa…aasuthu paduthu….asalu em jaruguthondho thelisilope 4 years aypoyaayi.

One more time in life….. Next enti? 
Mana thelivithetalaku, mana marks ki pilichi job iche naadhudu ekkada untaadu. Hyderabad velli Java course lo join ayya – okka mukka artham ayyinte ottu. Chaala interview attend ayyi – reject ayina tharuvaatha…. Sathy suggested me to join in TESTING TOOLS course. Tools ante edho mechanical related matter anukunna…. Kaadhu software lo idho rakam ani tharuvaatha thelisindhi. Appudappude Swaroop ki Bangalore lo job vachindhi. Few months later, Bangalore velli…valla company lo interview attend ayya. Adhentho, chaala smooth gaa interview aypoyindhi – nannu chaala intelligent anukunnaru akkda vaallu :-) Cut chesthe…. Job vachindhi. Scene shifted to Bangalore. Almost 4 years akkada work chesina tharuvaatha, August 2010 lo…shifted to another job in Mindtree. Luckily, Mindtree lo I got in to a Banking project. Manam anukunnattu Bank employee kaakapoyinaa kaneesam Banking project lo ayinaa wok chesthunnam le ani happy gaa feel ayya.

2010-2019: life lo another period of sleepwalk. 9 years alaaalaa aypoyaay. October 31st 2019 – got a call from my previous manager (he resigned Mindtree a few months back) : “I have an opening in my project, would you like to join” ani adigaadu. I said yes – CV pampncha….edho formality ki interview chesaru & BOOM…… I got the offer.

You know which company it is? SVB – Silicon Valley Bank. And yes… I will be a Bank employee.

Mutual Funds - explained

What is a Mutual Fund? The word 'mutual' in the name means exactly what it implies. A mutual fund is composed of the money that a large number of people have invested in it. A mutual fund is made up of all the money that its various investors have invested, combined. Mutual Funds are a well-diversified, low cost and tax efficient way of making your savings grow. They are an ideal investment vehicle for those who do not have the expertise to invest directly in stocks. You simply invest in a fund, and the fund manager will do the job of picking the stocks that he thinks will yield good returns. How do they work? You give money to a fund, which it invests in stocks. The gains or losses, whatever they may be, accrue to you. Equity funds are that simple. Here's an example: A fund is launched and a 1000 investors each invest 10,000 in it. In all, the fund has 1 crore of assets under its management. Just for convenience, a fund is divided into 'units' of a certain value, which is set to a round number initially. Typically, this is 10. In the above fund, each investor is said to own a 1000 units and in all, the fund has issued 100,000 units. Let's say that after a year, the investments have done well and the 1 crore grows to 1.1 crore. Now, the NAV of each unit is 11 (1.1 crore divided by 100,000). Each investor owns 1000 units so the value of his investments has grown to 11,000. From the investors' point of view, only the percentage change in the NAV is important, not the actual number. Who manages my money? Mutual funds follow a 3-tier structure: A Sponsor sets up a mutual fund and hires an Asset Management Company (AMC). The sponsor is then required to report to Board of Trustees who independently oversees the fund's operations. They have a fiduciary duty to investors, to dismiss the AMC or pull up the sponsor if they observe any irregularity in the fund's operations. Fund houses are also subject to regular return filings with SEBI as well as audit by an independent statutory auditor. AMCs will come up with different funds that are targeted at a different set of investors. A fund manager will be assigned to every fund who (along with the inputs he gets from the AMCs) manages your money. The fund manager is basically in charge of what stocks, bonds or other assets the fund will buy with investors’ money. Essentially, the fund manager will function as a stock-picker. Focusing on price-to-earnings ratios, price momentum, sales, earnings, dividends and other various metrics, the fund manager will build a portfolio of assets to accomplish the aims of the mutual fund, as stated in the fund’s prospectus. Charges: Expense Ratio: Expense ratio is the percentage of total assets that are spent to run a mutual fund. Like a doctor who charges you for his service, mutual funds too charge a fee for managing your money. This involves the fund management fee, agent commissions, registrar fees, and selling and promoting expenses. In other words, it states how much you pay a fund in percentage terms, every year, to manage your money. For example, if you invest Rs 10,000 in a fund with an expense ratio of 1.5%, then you are paying the fund Rs.150 to manage your money. Whether a fund generates positive or negative returns, expenses are always there & will be charged always. Entry load: Entry load is an expense you have to bear to participate in a mutual fund. The distributor who sells you a fund has to bear expenses towards running his business. A part of this cost is borne by investors in the form of load. You can opt for ‘Direct Plans’ (you only choose which funds to invest in instead of going to an advisor) if you do not wish to pay this fee. Exit Load: Exit load will be charged if an investor redeems or switches from a scheme before completion of one year from the date of allotment. Types of MFs No matter what type of investor you are, there is bound to be a mutual fund that fits your taste. It's important to understand that each mutual fund has different risk and reward profiles. In general, the higher the potential return, the higher the risk of potential loss. At the most basic level, there are 3 flavors of mutual funds: those that invest in stocks (Equity funds), those that invest in bonds (Income funds), those that invest in both stocks and bonds (Balanced funds), and those that seek the risk-free rate (Money market funds). Most mutual funds are variations on the theme of these three asset classes. Equity Funds: Equity Funds represent the largest category of mutual funds; these invest primarily in stocks. Generally, the investment objective of this class of funds is long-term capital growth. There are, however, many different types of equity funds because there are many different types of equities. A great way to understand the universe of equity funds is to use a style box, an example of which is below. Based on the type of stocks it invests, a fund can be categorized under one of these 9 different types. Income funds: Income funds are named for their purpose: to provide income to the investors on a steady basis. These funds invest primarily in government and high-quality corporate debt, holding these bonds until maturity in order to provide interest streams. While fund holdings may appreciate in value, the primary objective of these funds is to provide a steady cash flow to the investors. As such, the audience for these funds consists of conservative investors and retirees. Balanced funds: Balanced funds are a combination of both Equity funds & Income funds. They provide a mixture of safety & capital appreciation. The strategy of balanced funds is to invest in a portfolio of both fixed income and equities. A typical balanced fund will have a weighting of 50%-60% equity and 40%-50% fixed income. Fund manager of a balanced fund will have the freedom to switch the ratio of asset classes as the economy moves through the business cycle. Money market funds: Money market funds invest in safe (risk-free) debt instruments, mostly government bonds & Treasury bills, which are generally, not available for retail investors. These funds won't give you substantial returns, but you won't have to worry about losing your principal. A typical return is a little more than the amount you would earn in a regular savings account and a little less than the average bank FD returns. Opt for ultra-short-term bond funds, if you wish to invest for a time period of a month to six months. For six months to a period of two years, go for short-term bond funds. ELSS funds: ELSS (Equity Linked Savings Scheme) funds are an advantageous way to use the Rs 1.5 lakh limit for tax saving investments under Section 80C. A combination of equity and tax-saving makes them an ideal investment for all types of investors. Also, ELSS funds have the shortest lock-in period (just 3 years compared to a 5 year bank FD or a 15 year PPF) and the returns are completely tax free (unlike a bank FD) Other categories: When selecting a mutual fund, an investor has to make an almost endless number of choices. Among the more confusing decisions to be made is the choice between a fund with a Growth option and a fund with a dividend reinvestment option. Each type of fund has its advantages and disadvantages, and deciding which is a better fit will depend on your individual needs and circumstances as an investor. Growth option: The growth option on a mutual fund means that an investor in the fund will not receive any dividends that may be paid out by the stocks in the mutual fund. by selecting a growth option, the mutual fund holder is allowing the fund company to reinvest the money, which eventually, results in the increase in NAV of the fund. Dividend option: Unlike the growth option, investors opting for the dividend option will get a payout in the form of dividend. Dividend reinvestment option: Dividends that would otherwise be paid out to investors in the fund are used to purchase more shares in the fund. Again, cash is not paid out to the investor when dividends are paid on the stocks that comprise the fund. Instead, cash is automatically used by the fund's administrators to buy more fund units on behalf of the investors and transfer them to individual investors' accounts. How to transact? To start with, all that you need is a savings bank account & your PAN card (you need not have a demat account) For investing, broadly, we have two options: Lump sum investment; Systematic Investment Plans (SIP). Lump sum is, of course, investing the entire money that you want to invest at one go. SIP, on the other hand, means investing a fixed amount at a fixed frequency (generally monthly). For instance, if you have Rs. 1 lakh to invest, you may invest the entire amount in lump sum or you may create a monthly SIP with each installment of Rs.10,000 over a 10-month period. You can either buy funds directly from a fund house (Direct Plans) or through an intermediary (Regular plans). The expense ratio of a Direct plan will be lesser than a Regular plan (since there are no intermediaries involved) & the NAV will be slightly higher. Whenever an investor has to invest or redeem his money, he either buys fresh units or sells them at the NAV on that particular day. Happy Investing!!!

Namma Bengaluru Metro

Almost 10 years after the foundation stone was laid, Namma Bengaluru Metro is operational. The 'Purple Line' of the Metro line from Nayandanahalli to Bayappanahalli is now ready.

My first feeling when I entered 'Attiguppe' station was "Wow". The stations were clean & view was nice and the train arrived exactly on time. Felt like, Namma Bengaluru now has something new, that is of world-class quality (apart from its IT exports, of course) to boast of. Inside the train, it was all very nice - escalators, Air conditioned bogies, automatic doors, LED screens to display the arriving station names & proper announcements before arrival of every station. The underground stations were even more beautiful.

I have noticed an old man who came in with his grandson, looking in awe at the Metro train. He may have been in Bengaluru ever since the erstwhile 'Garden City' aka 'Pensioner's paradise' became an IT hub and lost all its Green glory. But, it seemed that even he appreciates this new mode of transport, as much as anybody else.

One of my team mate who lives very near to Bayappanahalli station used to travel almost 3 hours everyday (to & fro) commute to office & was hence planning to check for a new job at a nearby place, is now one of the happiest - thanks to the Metro line till there. And for job seekers, it opens up a whole new lot of possibilities since many of the IT parks are now easily accessible. Also, for a change, there weren't any charges of corruption this time even though this being a very costly project.

Yes, the very beautiful MG Road was not so beautiful now & I miss those lovely trees which used to line-up the street. Nevertheless, I can now reach MG Road in less than 30 min from where I live. And yes, that metro line's sharp curve at Anil Kumble circle...aaah.. I love it. Hopefully, once more people start using the Metro train, there will be lesser vehicles on the road which may, in turn, reduce the pollution levels.

Coincidentally, my first ride in Metro train happened on May Day. A BIG 'Thank you' to all the people involved, who, with their tireless efforts made this happen.

Endharo Mahanubhavulu... Andhariki vandhanaalu.

Marugela...Musugela

Generally, when a film doesn't become a hit, the efforts of many wonderful people get wasted. More so, when the film doesn't have a star cast. The beautiful songs in them doesn't reach the audience much.

I love melody songs a lot & last week I came across one such beautiful number. The song was from the movie 'Alludugaru Vacharu', released way back, in the year 1999. The film was directed by Raviraja Pinisetty & the cast includes Jagapathi babu, Kousalya & Heera. Keeravani provided the music for this film & lyrics are penned by none other than Sri Seetharama Sastry garu. I feel really bad that I didn't know this song all these days. Unfortunately, the video of the song was also not available on YouTube.


Am always been a fan of Sastry garu & his lyrics and this song made my respect for him soar many times.

Today...on his birthday...this is my tribute to an amazing human being & one of the best lyricists Telugu Cinema has ever produced.

Here's the lyrics:

Marugelaa....Musugelaa
Marugelaa....Musugelaa

O chandhamama... O chandhamamaaa...

Manasuna mallelu virisina vela
mamathala pallavi palikina vela
Mouname mohana raagamayevela...

Marugelaa...mabbu musugelaa
O chandhamama... O chandhamamaaa...

Maataki andhani oosulu leva..chupula lona
Chupu cherani seemalu leva...oohala lona

kanuchupulo chigurasalu
baruvaina reppallo bandhinchaku
madhi veedhilo swapnalaki
sankellu veseti jankendhuku

ooyalalupe mrudhubhaavale
upiri theeganu meetevela
Mouname mohana raagamayevela...
Marugelaa...mabbu musugelaa.....

Kanchana kaanthula kanchana bata kanabadaledhaa
kommana kusina koyila paata vinabadaledhaa

Uli thaakina sila maadiri
ulikuliki paduthondhi yedhalo sadi

chali chaatunaa marumalleki
maaraku puduthondho emo mari

chenthaku chere sumuhurthaana
aasalu theere aanandhaana

Mouname mohana raagamayevela...

Marugelaa...mabbu musugelaa.....

Chiru in Congress

Last week all newspapers were filled with the news that Chiru's PRP is merged with Congress. Since then, all my friends & family members started calling me to make fun of me. All this is coz, me being a hard core fan (may be not jus fan...probably AC). And, all of them still remember the hype I created when PRAJARAJYAM was formed on 26 August, 2008. I did my bit for PRP in making sure that all my friends & family members cast their votes for PRP candidates. Anyways, none of them won...that's a different issue.

But, when they heard the news that Chiru is merging PRP with Congress, all of them started calling me (as if, am the personal secretary for Chiru...Of course, I used to behave like that). And, the sad part is, all of them now feel that their PRECIOUS votes got wasted!!!

That is the reason, I thought of writing this blog.

The basic reason why cine stars join politics is to be in the lime light (which they have got used to all their career) even after their twilight years in the film industry. Stars who have money start their own party & those who doesn't have much, join the existing ones. Chiru is no exception. He also has a live example in the form of our own ANNAGARU (Sri NTR).

So...it is with these expectations, that Chiru started PRP. Nevertheless, it was a brave decision. But, he had a toughest opponent in the form of YSR. Chiru's glamour was not enough before YSR's might.

Even when he lost the election, Chiru didn’t hide his face from the press. He put up a brave face even though everything went wrong for him. But, going forward, the press started ignoring him. As always, maintaining a party which has lost elections is a herculean task. That too, with the hype with which he created PRP, it became even tougher. As days went on, the Telangana struggle started, some of his party MLAs started moving out. The rest are waiting for an excuse to jump. Even his brother Pawan Kalyan deserted him after the election defeat & never turned up at the party office. And, obviously, Chiru might have felt that he should not have started PRP at all & should have continued his acting career.

At that point of time, YSR died in a helicopter crash. Rosaiah became our new CM. As we all know, he never behaved like a CM. KCR saw an opportunity to make some news, and hence started agitation for Telangana. And the outcome…the state went to dogs.

Congress missed YSR badly. They needed a mass leader. Congress high felt that party was losing grip over the state. Added to that, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was wooing MLAs to support him to become CM. They replaced Rosaiah with KKR. But, even then, the wafer thin majority that congress has in the state assembly was not sufficient to dodge the threat posed by Jagan Reddy. They saw an opportunity in Chiru and his PRP.

They re-started the process which YSR started (to woo PRP to join Congress).

So, when the proposal for the merger came, Chiru saw a ray of hope. Not because of the posts offered to him, but, he saw an option to let go off the burden of maintaining a failed party like PRP. He knows for sure that, by 2014, PRP will have only one MLA left & that will be himself. So, if he don’t act now, he will lose all his popularity that he has gained all throughout his career in films. People start saying all non-sense things like...'he should not have entered politics, blah..blah'. So, Chiru might have also thought that he looses his credibility by joining Congress & his fans will never accept this. But, that seemed the only way he can continue his political journey. And if, by Sonia ji's grace, if he can get any major role in state politics (Deputy CM or CM candidate for 2014 elections), fans will be happier then.

Congress needs a mass leader… Chiru wants a platform to showcase his strength. The result – CONGRESS + PRAJA RAJYAM = CONGRESS RAJYAM

Chiru's decision to merge his party with the Congress, for him personally, is after all not a bad decision. But, for people who voted for him, who believed that he will bring a change in the political scenario of the state, leaders who joined him from other parties…this was a BIG disappointment.

In a way, am happy for Chiru & not so happy for PRP. The climax could have been better.

Long live Democracy!!!

Jai Chiranjeeva! Jai Hind!!

ATM Inventer 'John Shepherd-Barron' died

The man credited with being the inventor of the world's first "hole-in-the-wall" cash dispenser has died, following a short illness.

John Shepherd-Barron, who was born in India, to Scottish parents, had been living in Portmahomack in Ross-shire.

He died at Inverness's Raigmore Hospital on Saturday, at the age of 84.

Mr Shepherd-Barron came up with the idea for a cash machine while in the bath. The first ATM machine was installed at a Barclays bank in London in 1967.