DK Kapila The Oracle

Horticulture -  Just sharing a personal experience Yesterday I was buying fruits. From my favourite vendor. I saw pears there which I knew from their shape size and skin colour to be sourced from the lower hills of HP and nearby districts in Punjab. These are not the Premium variety but taste quite nice. The cost - plus Rs 110/- a Kg. We discussed. The farmers were getting Rs 20/- to Rs 23/- per kg. Maximum. As per the vendor. Now in 70 kms to 80 kms the price went up a little over four times. He stated 28 % to 30 % was the margin of the Commission Agent / Arhtiya. He stated his margin was 10 % to 15%. Then add mandi fees, wastage / transportation and storage costs had to be factored in but I know for sure the storage is limited as it’s distributed immediately. The vendor stated the maximum margins were of the commission agents and they lived with this reality. Twenty odd years ago I was posted in the Districts. That time Pears were retailed under a tree at Balachaur - 60 or so kms...

  Frauds. Avoid Getting Enticed please. Sept 2021 by Dinesh K Kapila An acquaintance rang me up and requested me if I knew anyone at the RBI (Reserve Bank of India). I inquired what was his concern with the RBI, after all being the Central Bank of the nation, it would normally not have any connection with an individual. He said a certain amount was to be paid by the GoI through the RBI to him, the RBI had asked for receipts to be signed prior to the release of funds, he had done so but the credit of funds was awaited. I immediately called him over. He had through an acquaintance purchased four life insurance policies for his granddaughter. He was assured it was for a couple of years. When the notice for payment of the Premium continued he asked for the policies to be closed and the amount refunded. Then he got a phone call (makes me suspect someone within tips off the scamsters) that at his insistence all four policies (different companies- how do they know) would be encashed. Th...

  Business Organisation. Which Employee would you rather have. And some other aspects. Dinesh K Kapila What would be the ideal employee profile. Think about it. I have blogged earlier about the optimal manner of working as regards Junior Officers in the Corporate Sector. But as to the team, this is always the Corporate Version of an orchestra. All players are required. Years and years ago, a top management officer called me aside and advised me to cool off on pressurising an officer reporting to me. I had a honest discussion. The officer was mainly running errands for him and thus taking shelter and not attending to even basic tasks. Well, he clarified, I require all types, to run the office.     It cannot run only with dedicated work horses only. Be as it may and I do know it is contentious, but it is only to illustrate the need for all types of officials of varied profiles in any organisation. Bit seriously, the main concern in any target oriented corporate orga...

  Harry and Meghan – Just Passing Time – Random Thoughts. By Dinesh K Kapila   Times are tough, the pandemic is upon us, and I am at home mostly. Then the mind wanders. Now I got thinking about Meghan and Harry Markle. This couple has caught the public eye after the interview, well planned and strategized, with Oprah Winfrey . Meghan says she did not research on the Queen and the family, now that is her problem. Any person would do a reasonable amount of research on what marrying into a Royal Family would entail, specially one as prominent as the British Royal Family. I like the Prince, he seems wedded to the words, Pain and Suffering and also seems to have   dutifully reported to his wife all the comments made in any manner by other members. Discretion, it is obvious, is his strong point, as also privacy, he values privacy so much that he is willing to share his views on being brought up in a Royal Family with the media readily.   Normally we had stories of Prin...

  What a Performance Appraisal. ! by Dinesh K Kapila We are all familiar with the terms PAR – Performance Appraisal Report or as the Government says, Confidential Reports - CRs. Most corporates or those organisations closely aligned with corporates have endeavoured to evolve quantifiable parameters and to try to reduce the textual and subjective element. But many Governments and their associated organisations continue to persist with the textual orientation. Now by virtue of sitting on varied Boards or Review Bodies over the years  in some capacity or the other, one seeks any diversion from some boring meetings by perusing the CRs, if they are being discussed. No matter which State you work in, over the years these have provided even entertainment, the seriousness of the issue notwithstanding. Even if not directly involved, it does provide some diversion from many routine issues being taken up,  Before I really share, duly hiding any means of identifying the organis...

  Maj Gen Rajendra Nath, PVSM (Retd) - Dad As Commander 62 Mountain Brigade – 1971 War – Bangladesh (East Pakistan) Theatre . Compiled by Dinesh K Kapila (Subject to further additions and to read Down Madhumati Road and 45 Cavalry in Bangladesh – also on my blog in addition). Major General Rajendra Nath, PVSM (Retd) as Brigadier Commanded 62 Mountain Brigade in the 1971 War. The Brigade comprised of the 5 Maratha Light Infantry (Lt Col JP Torpy),  4 Sikh Light Infantry (Lt Col SS Deshpande) and 2/9 Gorkha Rifles (Lt Col PN Kackar). For some time during the war, 9 Dogra was also placed with the 62 Mountain Brigade along with a squadron of 45 Cavalry, as was also the APC Company of 7 Punjab.  The 62 Mountain Brigade, as a part of the 4 Mountain Division, launched four full fledged battles during the war, as also a series of comparatively smaller battles, these were Jibannagar, a series of attacks along the River Bhairab, Hansadaha, Suadih, Kanyenagar, Kotchandpur, K...