Seven Minutes – Louvre Heist

I am sure you remember ‘the Collingwood Study of 100 Women’. A passage from that document reads as follows:  ‘While there was a great variety in response, the majority of females who had orgasms, whether brought on manually, orally or through intercourse, reached the climatic state in Seven Minutes.’  This study was made on females […]

Read More

RIP Asrani

RIP // ASRANI JI

Actor Asrani, who cemented a special place in the hearts of audiences through his portrayal of the eccentric jailer in Sholay and best known for his comic roles, passed away in a hospital in Mumbai on 20th October 2025. He was 84 years old. His full name is Govardhan Asrani, known popularly by mononym Asrani. […]

Read More

Second day of training at the peaceful NIA Pune campus

DAY 2 NIA PUNE, 22nd MAY 2000, MONDAY – TRAINING BEGINS

DAY 2 NIA PUNE, 22nd MAY 2000, MONDAY – TRAINING BEGINS – The dust free environment, the walking track, the rabbits, the sunrise and the cool morning breeze – I could not have wished for more. To top it all, I had the world’s time to be with myself – a person with whom I […]

Read More

National Insurance Academy campus in Pune

DAY 1 PUNE, 21ST MAY 2000, 9.30AM, SUNDAY WELCOME TO NIA

Reached Pune Railway station in one piece, after having spent a dreadful night in utter terror with those two specimens in the train. It is generally said that one could smell the rat from a mile away. I could smell the rotten stink of figures and their positive and negative variations from a berth away. […]

Read More

IQ, EQ, AQ & SQ

TYPES OF INTELLIGENCE

We often hear statements like ‘He is very Intelligent’. But have you ever wondered what intelligence is? There are people who asked me to make them intelligent! How can I make any one intelligent? Psychologists say that there are four types of Intelligence: Intelligence Quotient (IQ)Emotional Quotient (EQ)Social Quotient (SQ)Adversity Quotient (AQ) Intelligence Quotient (IQ) […]

Read More

Campus view of the National Insurance Academy with a fountain in the center

SECRET DIARY OF A YOUNG EXECUTIVE – THE BEGINNING, SATURDAY, 20™ MAY 2000, 8.15PM

During my employment at the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India, way back in the year 2000, I was nominated and sent for a three-week training course at the National Insurance Academy (NIA) Pune. From 22-05-2000 to 10-06-2000 (both days inclusive). I do not know what came over me, but I wrote a detailed account […]

Read More

Made in India

BALENO! VERNA! ETIOS!

Most car manufacturers in India choose foreign names for their products—often in Latin, Italian, or Greek. Majority of the Indian population does not know what the name means! Despite operating in India, the vehicle manufacturers rarely use names that reflect Indianism / Indian culture or connect with the local people. Consider few following examples: Maruti Suzuki […]

Read More

TRUTH WELL TOLD

I believe this is the slogan of McCann — one of the largest advertising agencies in the world. In India, the agency is headed by Mr. Prasoon Joshi, a renowned poet and writer. The key question is: “Can truth be well told?” Over the centuries, the rulers across the globe promised to: Eradicate Poverty Provide […]

Read More

Deccan Pen Store

It was for the first time in my life that I heard the name Conway Stewart pens, from the owner of the (DPS) Deccan Pen Store in Abids, Hyderabad. Founded in 1905, Conway Stewart has a rich history of crafting exquisite writing instruments in England. The brand is renowned for its commitment to the art […]

Read More

The Immortal Rupees 800/-

Denominations are 50*12 and 100*2 = 800/-. The money in the above denominations was given to me by father sometime in January, 2023, probably to pay for something/some sort of reimbursement. I kept it in my office bag, and since that time it remained there forgotten and untouched. He had the habit of bundling the […]

Read More