Why did Sreesanth cheat?

If the title of the blogpost gives you the impression that what follows is an investigational account of the nexus among bookies, players, politicians etc., then you are bound to be disappointed. So, in order to set the context, let me outline what this post is all about. This post captures my understanding of what behavioral economists have to say about “cheating”. The learnings are mainly from an online course from Dan Ariely (Duke University) titled “A Beginner's Guide to Irrational Behavior”. So, let’s begin the journey of analyzing Sreesanth’s fall from grace. 

Healthcare cost: How much is too much?

My uncle, after undergoing a successful removal of tumor a few years ago, was recently diagnosed with abnormal growth of cancerous cells. It was a case of metastasis i.e. spread of a cancer from one organ or part to another non-adjacent organ or part. Thankfully the disease was manageable due to timely detection and availability of a suitable drug. As we move ahead I must clarify that in this blog, I am not focusing on the disease or its treatment rather the focus would be the cost of availing such healthcare services. Before I decided to write this blog post, I had a lengthy and animated discussion with one of my friend who has been working in the pharmaceutical industry for quite a few years. 

Framework for containing "Crime against Women"

The New Year is knocking on the doors and despite many negative occurrences in the past year, hopeful signs lie in store for the coming year. The hope stems from the fact that the youth has risen and they have shown appreciable calmness and intelligence despite being provoked by the politicians and the police. While the effort is commendable, unless some meaningful gains are achieved in this "fight against crime committed on women" (you may refer to these gains as “baby steps”, “low-hanging fruits”, “quick wins” etc.), it may end up being just another “flash in the pan”. 

Let us try to arrive at the solution of limiting such crimes or inhibiting the growth of such criminals. Without claiming or sounding like an expert on this topic, I think we can divide the life-cycle of a criminal into two parts i.e. pre-crime and post-crime. For the sake of simplicity, we would limit the criminal life-cycle till the final sentence has been awarded. Also, we would focus on “crime against women” though I feel this framework can be extended to other types of crime as well. As outlined in the exhibit below, the post-crime part can be further sub-divided into three stages, Excused, Pro and Trial.  

Nepal: In turmoil or in transition?

During the early part of the last month, I happened to visit Kathmandu for one of my consulting assignments. Given that Kathmandu has been one of the major tourist destinations and there has been some mystery attached with the Himalayan Kingdom, I was excited about this trip. As it was more than a week long trip, my stay over there did help me experience different facets of Nepal.

Mr. Prime Minister, I will try my level best

A couple of hours ago, I happened to watch our Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, address the nation. Given the spate of criticism faced by the government in the wake of corruptions and controversial reforms, the public at large felt an address to the nation was long due. Even his self-proclaimed “khamoshi” (silence) that was meant to save the “aabroo” (dignity) of the corruption laden nexus of corporates and politicians, wasn’t successful at all.

These are some of my observations from the PM’s address to the nation. Before you proceed, I would request you to either go through the text of the speech or the video so that we can have a more meaningful discussion.