Extortion

Petrol prices above Rs. 80 per litre where I live and I will not be surprised if they cross Rs. 100. There have been the usual platitudes of how oil companies have been losing money selling petrol to us, thanks to the global oil prices.

And then ... there is this: Indian Oil net profit up 224% at Rs 12670 crore. *After* selling petrol at a loss, Indian Oil *still* managed a *net* profit that was 224% *more* than the previous year.

How then, is the petrol price hike not plain and simple daylight robbery?

Raising the prices of petrol leads to all prices rising even further (and inflation has been on a runaway horse for a while now). Yet, the oil companies, instead of helping the nation, choose to further line their already deep pockets.

And Team Sonia/Manmohan/UPA blatantly stand by and let them.

Shame!

Today is a Bharat Bandh called to protest the petrol price hike. While I don't support bandhs, I can't help but see that the imperial rulers of India (Team Sonia), by consistently not listening to the people, essentially leave them with no choice but to resort to bandhs.

Pearls Of Wisdom

Mohit Chandra of KPMG, in an open letter to India's graduating classes brilliantly sums up the issues the corporate world faces with young graduates seeking employment.

Educational institutions would do well to address the gaps and help create employment-ready graduates who:

1> Speak and write English fluently
2>  Are good at problem solving, thinking outside the box, seeking new ways of doing things
3>  Ask questions, engage deeply and question hierarchy
4> Take responsibility for their career and for their learning and invest in new skills
5>  Are professional and ethical

Read the entire letter here.