Authored six books on happiness: Cultivating Happiness, Nirvana – The Highest Happiness, Meditate Like the Buddha, Mission Happiness, A Flourishing Life, and The Little Book of Happiness. He served in a bank for thirty-five years and has been propagating happiness and well-being among people for the past twenty years. He is on a mission – Mission Happiness!
🌌 Heartbreak at Sriharikota, but our heads remain high. 🇮🇳🚀
Watching the PSLV-C62 mission encounter a snag in its third stage is deeply saddening, especially coming so soon after the C61 setback in May 2025. To the incredible scientists at ISRO, we feel your pain. We know how many years of sleepless nights and precision engineering go into every single second of flight.
While today is difficult, it is important to remember why the PSLV is called the “Workhorse of ISRO”:
✨A legendary track record with a 90%+ success rate over 60+ missions.
✨The backbone of global milestones like Chandrayaan-1, the Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan), and the world-record launch of 104 satellites in a single go.
Space is hard. It is perhaps the most unforgiving frontier known to man. In 2025 alone, the global space community saw over a dozen orbital failures, including setbacks for SpaceX’s Starship, Japan’s H3, and private missions from China and South Korea. Even the most seasoned players face these “occupational hazards”—it is the price of pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
ISRO, you have taught us that failure is not the opposite of success, but a stepping stone toward it. We have no doubt you will analyze the data, fix the glitch, and come back stronger, just as you always have.
We are with you, today and for every countdown to come. Carry on, Team ISRO! The stars are still waiting. 🌌✨
A Pathway to Authentic Happiness, Well-Being & A Fulfilling Life! We teach skills to lead a healthy, happy and meaningful life.
The Science of Happiness (Positive Psychology), Meditation, Yoga, Spirituality and Laughter Yoga. We conduct talks, seminars, workshops, retreats and training.
🌌Thanksgiving and Indian Consciousness: A Reflection of Gratitude 🌌
The celebration of Thanksgiving in the Western world and the expression of gratitude in Indian culture reveal a profound similarity in the fundamental values of humanity. Though the rituals, customs, and expressions may differ, the underlying essence remains the same.
Thanksgiving, celebrated in November, is a time when Americans come together to express gratitude for the harvest and the blessings of life. Similarly, in India, festivals like Baisakhi, Onam, and Pongal are celebrated to acknowledge the bounty of nature. The Indian tradition of offering prayers to the sun, reciting the Gayatri mantra, and expressing gratitude to the elements reflects the same sentiment.
The Indian sages emphasized the importance of gratitude not just as a ritual but as a way of life. The Bhagavad Gita teaches us to dedicate our actions to the divine, recognizing that everything is a gift. This philosophy frees us from the burden of ego and makes us humble, acknowledging our place in the universe.
The American tradition of Thanksgiving highlights the importance of family, community, and sharing with those in need. Similarly, Indian festivals bring people together, strengthening bonds and fostering a sense of belonging.
In today’s materialistic world, the relevance of gratitude cannot be overstated. It is the foundation upon which lasting relationships and achievements are built. By cultivating gratitude, we shift our focus from what we lack to what we have, leading to greater contentment and peace.
The Indian-American community has infused Thanksgiving with a unique blend of cultural flavors, creating a fusion that celebrates the diversity of human experience. As we come together to share meals and stories, we are reminded that gratitude is a universal language that transcends borders and cultures.
Let us strive to make gratitude a part of our daily lives, recognizing the beauty in the world around us and expressing appreciation for the blessings we receive. May the spirit of Thanksgiving inspire us to cultivate a deeper sense of gratitude, compassion, and connection with all beings.
Authored six books on happiness: Cultivating Happiness, Nirvana – The Highest Happiness, Meditate Like the Buddha, Mission Happiness, A Flourishing Life, and The Little Book of Happiness. He served in a bank for thirty-five years and has been propagating happiness and well-being among people for the past twenty years. He is on a mission – Mission Happiness!
🌌An Evening Where Innocence Danced with Tradition 🌌
If the fragrance of an evening lingers till the next morning and leaves you quietly happy and grateful, you know you have been to a good place.
Last evening, my wife and I were invited to a dance programme where school-going children, radiant in bright costumes and complete classical make-up, presented Kathak, Odissi and Bharatanatyam with touching sincerity. The atmosphere was ethereal, soaked in positivity and bliss. Their movements, gestures, mudras, bhava-bhangima, abhinaya and nritya may not have been flawless, yet they were utterly adorable, brimming with innocence and promise, transporting us to a space beyond everyday reality. It was heartening to see dedicated teachers nurturing young minds in the true guru-shishya tradition, supported by proud parents and silent promoters who create platforms for raw talent without seeking returns. Having witnessed legends like Sitara Devi, Sonal Mansingh, Mallika Sarabhai, Pandit Durga Lal and Malavika Sarukkai live on stage, I can still say that the joy and fulfilment we felt last evening ran deeper. It rekindled a quiet confidence that our classical dance traditions are in safe, sensitive and capable hands.
A Pathway to Authentic Happiness, Well-Being & A Fulfilling Life! We teach skills to lead a healthy, happy and meaningful life.
The Science of Happiness (Positive Psychology), Meditation, Yoga, Spirituality and Laughter Yoga. We conduct talks, seminars, workshops, retreats and training.
☆ Article ☆ The Subtle Art of Overeating Politely – Vikram Chandrashekhar ☆ Compiled by – Hemant Bawankar ☆
A hotel’s complimentary buffet breakfast is the closest thing to a polite catastrophe. At 6:30 a.m., grown adults who normally need three alarms to wake up are already hovering outside the restaurant door like it’s a flash sale. The moment it opens, civilisation leaves the room. People surge forward with the desperation of a species that fears the poori might run away.
The continental section sits there, lonely, untouched. Croissants looking depressed, bread slices drying in the AC because the true desi minimalists walk past them like past bad memories. Bread and eggs? Why again? They station themselves at the dosa counter with the same intensity that they used for land disputes.
Meanwhile the Full-Hog Overachievers begin their day’s construction work: plate upon plate stacked with paratha touching pasta touching pineapple touching ideological confusion. They aren’t here to eat; they are here to economically punish the hotel for daring to include breakfast in the tariff. A subset of them says “nothing is good” before they go for a second helping. Another guest drinks nine cups of masala chai and wonders aloud why his BP is rising. The rest of us know.
Then come the Protein Bros, those majestic creatures whose arms enter the buffet three seconds before the rest of their body. They demand fourteen egg whites and bargain like they’re at Chickpet. One bro even pours whey powder into sambar, declaring it a fusion dish. The chef’s soul quietly exits his body.
Nearby, a diabetic guest requests a strict egg-white omelette while simultaneously dual-wielding mango and pineapple juice like nutritional nunchucks. Their glucose meter files for voluntary retirement. And just when the buffet thinks it has seen enough, the rich sleepers float in at 11:20 a.m.Breakfast long gone, even the toaster unplugged. But time, to them, is a rumour. They demand pancakes from the void, and hotel staff obey with the resignation of civil servants during budget season. The order a la carte..
The business traveller meanwhile is on Day four and has a serving of toast–fried egg–coffee déjà vu. He pockets bananas like he’s smuggling state secrets, sips coffee with dead eyes, and silently wonders when he last felt joy. Children, on the other hand, are pure chaos wrapped in sugar.They are charging at waffles, drowning them in chocolate syrup, and rejecting anything that looks remotely like nutrition. The hotel staff steps aside as they sprint past, muffins in both hands like victorious gladiators. Their moms are trying to feed them something they detest. The dads overlook this event…
Uncles are the true apex predators: poori, dosa soaked in ghee, pongal the size of a meteor, five cups of chai, and then the inevitable announcement “I eat very light these days.”
Fitness Moms interrogate the buffet like they’re cracking a terror cell: “Which oil? Which farm? What breed of almond?” And after all this detective work, they consume three papaya cubes and radiate smug wellness.
Foreign tourists wander around in innocent confusion, eating idli with jam, mixing chutney with muesli, sipping sambar like broth until suddenly their tongue goes numb and they realise India has entered their bloodstream.
The lonely cereal guy sits surrounded by 800 calories of joy and chooses cornflakes anyway, crunching like he’s punishing himself for existing.
Somewhere, an influencer couple rearranges that poori for 40 minutes, taking photos from all angles. By the time they finish, the poori has the emotional stability of a punctured balloon. Nearby, professional buffet looters stuff muffins into handbags, slip bread rolls into jacket pockets, and walk out rustling like walking vegetable markets.
And through all of this, someone always makes an impossible request from masala cornflakes, gluten-free poha to a sugar-free gulab jamun while the staff stares into the horizon questioning every life choice.
A complimentary buffet breakfast is not nourishment. It is revenge, it is childhood trauma, it is class struggle, it is comedy, it is tragedy, it is a deeply personal confrontation with carbs.
It is the Olympics of Paisa Vasool. And after the dust settles, after the plates are cleared, after the last banana is smuggled away, everyone makes the same bold declaration:
“Tomorrow, I’ll eat light.”
And of course, as we leave, all of us are already telling the same lie to ourselves, the oldest lie in the history of complimentary breakfasts:
Authored six books on happiness: Cultivating Happiness, Nirvana – The Highest Happiness, Meditate Like the Buddha, Mission Happiness, A Flourishing Life, and The Little Book of Happiness. He served in a bank for thirty-five years and has been propagating happiness and well-being among people for the past twenty years. He is on a mission – Mission Happiness!
🌌 Current Affairs – Free Trade Agreement: India and New Zealand 🌌
The Free Trade Agreement signed between India and New Zealand is a welcome and timely step. On balance, the agreement appears to tilt in India’s favour. Goods exported from India will now be able to enter New Zealand without customs duty, and our students and workers have been granted several meaningful relaxations in visa conditions. In addition, New Zealand has committed to investing in India, which strengthens the long-term economic partnership between the two countries.
However, there is one aspect that deserves a closer look. India has imposed relatively strict conditions on certain New Zealand products, which, frankly, seems somewhat unfair. What is more surprising is that the New Zealand government has accepted these terms. High tariffs have been retained on items such as milk, cheese, and butter. Even Manuka honey — regarded globally as one of the finest — continues to attract duties.
If there are Indian consumers who can afford these premium products, they should be allowed to benefit from fair pricing and wider choice. A trade agreement, after all, must serve the interests of both nations and their consumers. It should be a true win–win arrangement, not one that favours only one side.
Balanced trade builds trust, deepens relationships, and ultimately benefits people on both sides of the table.
#FreeTradeAgreement #India #NewZealand
भारत द्वारा न्यूज़ीलैंड के साथ किया गया फ्री ट्रेड एग्रीमेंट स्वागत योग्य है। इस करार का पलड़ा हमारी ओर झुका हुआ है। भारत से सब समान अब बिना ड्यूटी के न्यूज़ीलैंड जा सकेगा। साथ ही, हमारे छात्रों और वर्कर्स को वीज़ा शर्तों में अनेक लाभ दिए गए हैं। इसके अलावा न्यूज़ीलैंड हमारे देश में निवेश भी करेगा।
लेकिन हमने उनपर कुछ कठोर शर्तें लगाई हैं, जो शायद उचित नहीं हैं। यह बात और है कि इन्हें वहां की सरकार ने स्वीकार किया है, जैसे दूध, चीज़ और मक्खन पर टैरिफ। वहां का मानुका हनी (शहद) विश्व में सर्वश्रेष्ठ माना जाता है। उस पर भी टैरिफ नहीं लगना चाहिए।
देश के उपभोक्ता जो इन प्रोडक्ट्स को अफोर्ड कर सकते हैं, उन्हें इसका लाभ मिलना चाहिए। कोई भी ट्रेड एग्रीमेंट दोनों देशों के लिए और उनके उपभोक्ताओं के लिए विन-विन समझौता होना चाहिए, न कि इकतरफा।
A Pathway to Authentic Happiness, Well-Being & A Fulfilling Life! We teach skills to lead a healthy, happy and meaningful life.
The Science of Happiness (Positive Psychology), Meditation, Yoga, Spirituality and Laughter Yoga. We conduct talks, seminars, workshops, retreats and training.
Authored six books on happiness: Cultivating Happiness, Nirvana – The Highest Happiness, Meditate Like the Buddha, Mission Happiness, A Flourishing Life, and The Little Book of Happiness. He served in a bank for thirty-five years and has been propagating happiness and well-being among people for the past twenty years. He is on a mission – Mission Happiness!
🌌Film Review –Dhurandhar🌌
Relentless chatter on social media finally nudged me into a theatre to watch Dhurandhar. I went in forewarned—of its length, its violence, its abrasive language. What unfolded on screen, however, was a rare, seamless cinematic experience.
The film moves as one unbroken act. The narrative flows swiftly and effortlessly, never losing its pulse. The music reaches deep within, quenching a long, unspoken thirst of the soul, and carries the exquisitely crafted story with a mesmerising force. It courses like a pahadi river descending from the Himalayas—changing moods, colours and cries—never pausing long enough to bore.
Every actor dissolves completely into the role, delivering performances that feel lived rather than enacted. The violence and coarse language do not jar; they arise organically from the script, restrained and purposeful, never imposed.
Dhurandhar is a film that will linger in memory. Meaningful in intent, honest in execution, it achieves exactly what it sets out to do. Kudos, and hats off, to Aditya Dhar and his team.
A Pathway to Authentic Happiness, Well-Being & A Fulfilling Life! We teach skills to lead a healthy, happy and meaningful life.
The Science of Happiness (Positive Psychology), Meditation, Yoga, Spirituality and Laughter Yoga. We conduct talks, seminars, workshops, retreats and training.
Authored six books on happiness: Cultivating Happiness, Nirvana – The Highest Happiness, Meditate Like the Buddha, Mission Happiness, A Flourishing Life, and The Little Book of Happiness. He served in a bank for thirty-five years and has been propagating happiness and well-being among people for the past twenty years. He is on a mission – Mission Happiness!
🌌 A Long Arc of Wars: America’s Military Footprint Across the World 🌌
History often reads like a drifting tide—one wave rising as another ebbs. The story of the United States and its many military ventures across the world follows just such a rhythm. Beginning as a young nation determined to defend freedom, it gradually found itself stepping deeper into conflicts far beyond its shores. Some were presented as noble causes; others later proved to rest on shaky claims, political calculations, or fear-driven assumptions. For citizens of the world who wish to understand this pattern, the following narrative offers a simple, unembellished account.
—
The Spanish–American War (1898)
President: William McKinley
Where: Cuba, Philippines, Puerto Rico
Reason Given: The explosion of the USS Maine in Havana harbour, attributed—without proof—to Spain.
What Happened: In a brief but decisive campaign, the United States defeated Spain and emerged as a colonial power, taking control of the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
Consequences: Thousands of soldiers and many more civilians died in both the war and the brutal suppression of Filipino resistance.
What History Says Today: Many historians believe the rush to war was fuelled by expansionist ambitions and sensationalist journalism. The sinking of the Maine was likely an accident.
—
World War I (1917–1918)
President: Woodrow Wilson
Where: Europe
Reason Given: German submarine attacks on American ships and the Zimmermann Telegram.
What Happened: The U.S. joined late but decisively, tipping the balance in favour of the Allies.
Consequences: Heavy casualties in Europe; the war’s end created political instability that later fed into World War II.
What History Says Today: America’s entry helped end the war, but Wilson’s idealistic vision of peace was never realised, and punitive treaties sowed seeds of future conflict.
—
World War II (1941–1945)
President: Franklin D. Roosevelt
Where: Europe, North Africa, Pacific
Reason Given: Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbour.
What Happened: The U.S. fought on multiple fronts, eventually defeating both Germany and Japan.
Consequences: Immense global destruction, including the first and only use of nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
What History Says Today: America’s role in defeating fascism was decisive, though debates on the necessity of atomic bombings continue.
—
The Consequences:Korean War (1950–1953)
President: Harry Truman
Where: Korean Peninsula
Reason Given: Stopping Communist expansion after North Korea invaded the South.
What Happened: A brutal war that ended in a stalemate along the 38th parallel.
Millions of Korean civilians died; the peninsula remains divided to this day.
What History Says Today: Seen as part of early Cold War anxieties; the justification remains debated.
—
The Vietnam War (1955–1975)
Presidents: Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon
Where: Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos
Reason Given: The “Domino Theory” that communism would spread across Asia. The fabricated Gulf of Tonkin incident served as the trigger for full-scale war.
What Happened: Years of relentless bombing, ground combat, and chemical warfare (including Agent Orange).
Consequences: Over 2 million Vietnamese civilians and 58,000 American soldiers died. Laos and Cambodia were dragged into the conflict.
What History Says Today: Widely acknowledged as unnecessary and based on false premises. America withdrew without achieving its goal; Vietnam unified under the same government the war sought to prevent.
—
The Bay of Pigs & Latin America Interventions (1950s–1980s)
Presidents: Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Reagan
Where: Cuba, Nicaragua, Chile, Guatemala, and others
Reason Given: Curbing communist influence and protecting American interests.
What Happened: A mix of coups, covert operations, assassinations, and support to dictators and paramilitary groups.
Consequences: Civilian massacres, political repression, and decades-long instability in Latin America.
What History Says Today: Many interventions were unjustified and driven by Cold War paranoia rather than real threat.
—
The Gulf War (1991)
President: George H. W. Bush
Where: Iraq, Kuwait
Reason Given: Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait.
What Happened: A swift air and ground assault forced Iraq to retreat.
Consequences: Enormous destruction of Iraqi military and infrastructure; thousands of civilian casualties.
What History Says Today: The initial cause was legitimate—Kuwait had indeed been invaded—though the scale of bombing and post-war sanctions caused lasting humanitarian harm.
—
Afghanistan War (2001–2021)
Presidents: Bush, Obama, Trump, Biden
Where: Afghanistan
Reason Given: The 9/11 attacks and the Taliban’s refusal to hand over Osama bin Laden.
What Happened: The Taliban was toppled, but a prolonged insurgency followed.
Consequences: Over 170,000 Afghan deaths, massive displacement, and eventual return of the Taliban after U.S. withdrawal.
What History Says Today: The initial aim—to dismantle al-Qaeda—was achieved early, but the 20-year nation-building effort failed. Seen widely as a costly misadventure.
—
Iraq War (2003–2011)
President: George W. Bush
Where: Iraq
Reason Given: Claims that Saddam Hussein possessed “Weapons of Mass Destruction” (WMDs)—which were never found.
What Happened: Rapid invasion, toppling Saddam, followed by years of insurgency and sectarian violence.
Consequences: At least 200,000 civilian deaths; destabilisation of the region; rise of ISIS.
What History Says Today: Regarded as one of the most unjustified wars in modern times, based on entirely false premises.
—
Libya Intervention (2011)
President: Barack Obama
Where: Libya
Reason Given: Preventing mass atrocities during the Arab Spring.
What Happened: NATO-backed rebels overthrew Muammar Gaddafi.
Consequences: Libya collapsed into civil war, leading to chaos and militias controlling vast regions.
What History Says Today: The intervention removed a dictator but created long-term instability. Its necessity remains questioned.
—
Syria (2011–Present)
Presidents: Obama, Trump, Biden
Where: Syria
Reason Given: Fighting ISIS and supporting “moderate rebels.”
What Happened: Airstrikes, support to proxy groups, and clashes with multiple actors including Russia.
Consequences: A prolonged civil war, enormous civilian suffering, and a fragmented nation.
What History Says Today: America’s role is seen as part of a larger geopolitical struggle rather than a clear-cut mission.
—
Yemen (Proxy Involvement)
Presidents: Obama, Trump, Biden
Where: Yemen
Reason Given: Supporting Saudi Arabia against Houthi rebels.
What Happened: U.S. arms, intelligence, and logistical support fuelled a devastating war.
Consequences: One of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with widespread famine and disease.
What History Says Today: The war is widely condemned; American involvement is seen as having worsened the tragedy.
—
1 Ongoing Drone Wars and Counter-Terror Operations
Presidents: Bush to Biden
Where: Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, Niger, and others
Reason Given: Eliminating terrorist threats without deploying troops.
What Happened: Thousands of drone strikes, many secret.
Consequences: Significant civilian casualties, political backlash, and anger in affected regions.
What History Says Today: While tactically effective, they often deepened resentment and instability.
—
A Pattern the World Slowly Recognised
From Manila to Mosul, the story repeats itself: a conflict justified as protection, liberation, or security; a swift beginning followed by long entanglements; tragic losses of civilian life; and eventual withdrawal without the promised result.
Over time, citizens around the world have realised that many of these wars—though often presented in noble words—were shaped as much by fear, ideology, resource interests, and geopolitical rivalry as by genuine threats. Some interventions did prevent atrocities or topple tyrants. Others left behind deeper wounds than those they aimed to heal.
—
In the End
This dossier is not a judgement, but a record. As people of the world look back, they increasingly understand that wars—even those fought by powerful nations—rarely end where policymakers believe they will. They ripple outward, touching countless lives, leaving lessons that must not be forgotten.
A Pathway to Authentic Happiness, Well-Being & A Fulfilling Life! We teach skills to lead a healthy, happy and meaningful life.
The Science of Happiness (Positive Psychology), Meditation, Yoga, Spirituality and Laughter Yoga. We conduct talks, seminars, workshops, retreats and training.
Authored six books on happiness: Cultivating Happiness, Nirvana – The Highest Happiness, Meditate Like the Buddha, Mission Happiness, A Flourishing Life, and The Little Book of Happiness. He served in a bank for thirty-five years and has been propagating happiness and well-being among people for the past twenty years. He is on a mission – Mission Happiness!
🌌 AFTERNOON WALK 🌌
There is a familiar charm in the early hours of the day—streets washed in pale light, the air cool and hopeful, and the heartbeat steadying itself through a brisk morning walk. For generations, doctors, elders, and fitness guides have sung its praises. And rightly so. Yet, in the rhythm of everyday life, not everyone manages to step out at dawn. Work, family, late nights—life rearranges the best of plans. Many then turn to the evening walk, letting the twilight soothe the day’s bustle.
But tucked quietly between these two lies a delightful, often-ignored possibility—the afternoon walk.
I began experimenting with it almost by accident, and soon enough, it unfolded a charm of its own. An afternoon walk does not demand discipline; it invites you. It fits itself gently into your day—any time after sunrise and before sunset—and carries its own bouquet of benefits. A little sunshine on the skin nudges the body to create Vitamin D, which in turn keeps bones and immunity strong. This small gift of daylight also helps regulate sleep, making the night restful and deep. And like all simple outdoor movements, it keeps the blood flowing, the breath easy, and the mind sprinkled with feel-good hormones.
But beyond biology, the afternoon walk has a unique personality. Unlike the determined pace of the early morning, this stroll often becomes leisurely, warm, and pleasantly unhurried. The city is awake by then—vendors calling out with fresh guavas, coconuts stacked like green globes, bunches of fragrant coriander swaying softly. If you happen to be in a city like Indore, there is every chance the aroma of poha, jalebi, and kachori may pull you gently off your set path. And that, too, is part of the joy.
As you move along, you may find yourself noticing things you usually miss—new eateries promising flavours, an ayurvedic massage centre promising relief, a doctor’s clinic newly opened, a roadside stall serving honest, earthy litti-chokha, or even the reconstruction of an old, familiar house. Afternoon light has a curious way of slowing the world just enough for you to see it.
What surprised me most was how refreshing this simple routine felt from the very first day. Especially in winter, when the sun seems almost affectionate, an afternoon walk becomes a gentle therapy—warming, grounding, and deeply rejuvenating.
It may not replace the morning or evening walk, but it adds something different and delightful to the day. And sometimes, that small addition is all one needs to feel a little lighter, a little brighter, and a little more connected with the world outside the door.
If you’ve never tried it, give yourself just one such walk. Chances are, your body—and your mood—will thank you before you return home.
A Pathway to Authentic Happiness, Well-Being & A Fulfilling Life! We teach skills to lead a healthy, happy and meaningful life.
The Science of Happiness (Positive Psychology), Meditation, Yoga, Spirituality and Laughter Yoga. We conduct talks, seminars, workshops, retreats and training.
Dr. Suresh Kumar Mishra, known for his wit and wisdom, is a prolific writer, renowned satirist, children’s literature author, and poet. He has undertaken the monumental task of writing, editing, and coordinating a total of 55 books for the Telangana government at the primary school, college, and university levels. His editorial endeavors also include online editions of works by Acharya Ramchandra Shukla.
As a celebrated satirist, Dr. Suresh Kumar Mishra has carved a niche for himself, with over eight million viewers, readers, and listeners tuning in to his literary musings on the demise of a teacher on the Sahitya AajTak channel. His contributions have earned him prestigious accolades such as the Telangana Hindi Academy’s Shreshtha Navyuva Rachnakaar Samman in 2021, presented by the honorable Chief Minister of Telangana, Mr. Chandrashekhar Rao. He has also been honored with the Vyangya Yatra Ravindranath Tyagi Stairway Award and the Sahitya Srijan Samman, alongside recognition from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and various other esteemed institutions.
Dr. Suresh Kumar Mishra’s journey is not merely one of literary accomplishments but also a testament to his unwavering dedication, creativity, and profound impact on society. His story inspires us to strive for excellence, to use our talents for the betterment of others, and to leave an indelible mark on the world.
Some precious moments of life
Honoured with ‘Shrestha Navayuvva Rachnakar Samman’ by former Chief Minister of Telangana Government, Shri K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
Honoured with Oscar, Grammy, Jnanpith, Sahitya Akademi, Dadasaheb Phalke, Padma Bhushan and many other awards by the most revered Gulzar sahab (Sampurn Singh Kalra), the lighthouse of the world of literature and cinema, during the Sahitya Suman Samman held in Mumbai.
Meeting the famous litterateur Shri Vinod Kumar Shukla Ji, honoured with Jnanpith Award.
Got the privilege of meeting Mr. Perfectionist of Bollywood, actor Aamir Khan.
Meeting the powerful actor Vicky Kaushal on the occasion of being honoured by Vishva Katha Rangmanch.
Today we present his Satire – The Market Price of Moksha: Why Your Destiny Now Requires a Premium Subscription.
☆ Witful Warmth# 54 ☆
☆ Satire ☆ The Market Price of Moksha: Why Your Destiny Now Requires a Premium Subscription… ☆ Dr. Suresh Kumar Mishra ‘Uratript’ ☆
The twenty-first century, my friends, is a magnificent time to be alive, particularly if you are an astrologer who possesses the supreme technological wisdom of designing an app. Once upon a time, fate was a sprawling, democratic marketplace; a village soothsayer might ask for five rupees, a piece of old cloth, or merely a promise to name your firstborn after his favorite deity. Now, fate is a segmented, tiered commodity, neatly packaged within a digital fortress. Your horoscope, that cosmic blueprint of your entire tragic life, is no longer a public document written in the stars; it’s hidden behind a paywall, locked up tighter than a politician’s conscience. When the celestial bodies move, they don’t just influence your love life; they prompt a push notification: “Mars is in Retrograde. Avoid major decisions or unlock your Ad-Free Fate plan for only ₹499/month.” The gods, it seems, have finally realized the commercial potential of human anxiety and have signed exclusive partnership deals with Silicon Valley venture capitalists. What a glorious privatization of the spiritual sphere! The tear rolling down my cheek is purely from joy at this spectacular efficiency.
The sheer genius of the “Ad-Free Fate” subscription is that it converts existential dread into a recurring revenue stream. Previously, you might worry about your job security or your landlord’s menacing glances. Now, you worry about whether your Free Tier alignment will tell you enough to avoid that critical Tuesday morning mistake. The app’s logic is devastatingly simple and mind-blowingly cruel: if you cannot afford the premium plan, your future is inherently noisy, cluttered with distracting banners selling debt consolidation or weight-loss pills, thus ensuring that the vital, life-saving advice about not marrying a Capricorn is hopelessly lost in the digital static. The middle-class anxiety is no longer about upward mobility; it’s about accessing a clear, uncorrupted channel to doom avoidance. If the Dharma of the universe suggests a catastrophe is coming, the app ensures that only those who pay promptly can receive the crucial fine print. True liberation (Moksha) is no longer freedom from desire, but freedom from the thirty-second video ad that interrupts the reading of your next six unfortunate years.
This financial filtering of destiny reveals a profound societal truth: poverty is no longer just a socio-economic condition, but a spiritual vulnerability. The wealthy are now paying for optimized karma. The poor, meanwhile, are left with the basic, ad-supported model of suffering, where their misfortune is constantly cross-promoted with cheap products they cannot afford. The app’s developers, undoubtedly enlightened souls in their own right, have cleverly established a tiered system of cosmic intervention. The basic plan gives you vague, boilerplate doom (“Avoid disappointment this week”); the premium plan offers actionable, granular doom (“The disappointment will specifically involve a misplaced umbrella and a rude encounter with a postal worker on Wednesday at 4:15 PM”). The ultra-premium, executive tier guarantees predictive happiness, meaning they don’t just warn you about bad luck, they actively inject small, curated moments of joy into your life, like a surprise discount code or a genuinely funny cat video, all while charging your credit card automatically. The ultimate irony is that we are paying exorbitant sums to be told what used to be free: life is fundamentally unpredictable and often quite silly.
The “Harishankar Parsai” in my soul weeps and laughs simultaneously at this commodification of the soul’s journey. The astrologer, once a mysterious figure shrouded in incense and ancient wisdom, is now just a data scientist optimizing conversion rates. They don’t read the planets; they read the metadata of your past purchases. Your destiny is not determined by Saturn, but by the algorithm that tracked your panic after you searched “early signs of male pattern baldness.” The true demisical element here is the slow, silent death of faith, replaced by a cynical, transactional relationship with the sublime. The tear that rolls down my cheek is not for the lost money, but for the lost ability to confront fate with genuine, unmediated awe. We have turned the terrifying majesty of the cosmos into a subscription service, ensuring that even our inevitable suffering is delivered in a high-definition, personalized format. The heart, once the repository of quiet belief, is now merely a beating ATM for the cosmic subscription plan.
The profound tragedy of this trend is the destruction of genuine human introspection. The true purpose of ancient astrology was to prompt philosophical self-reflection, urging the individual to understand their inherent nature and responsibilities. Now, the app gives you the answer instantly—a quick fix to a millennia-old existential dilemma. Instead of meditating on the meaning of a challenging transit, you simply click “Remind Me Later” and get back to scrolling. We have exchanged the difficult work of self-knowledge for the ease of outsourced destiny management. The apps have removed the poetry from pain and the grandeur from grief. Your suffering is no longer a path to enlightenment; it’s a bug in the code that the next update will supposedly fix. But the update itself is always late, or worse, requires an additional in-app purchase for “Emotional Stability Patch 3.0.” This entire farce is a perfect metaphor for modern life: we are constantly connected to the universe, yet utterly disconnected from ourselves, paying monthly fees to keep the illusion of control alive.
The sheer spectacle of the Jyotish becoming a tech-bro is mind-blowing. Imagine the pitch meeting: “Look, we’re disrupting the karmic cycle. We’re offering a BOGO deal: Buy One Bad Luck, Get One Good Fortune (Limited Time Only, Terms Apply).” The entire philosophy of detachment (Vairagya) is ruined because now you’re constantly attached to checking your phone to see if your luck status has upgraded from “Cautionary” to “Fortunate.” And who is paying for this? The masses! The very same people who complain about the price of onions are happily forking over cash to ensure their life path has optimal UI/UX design. It’s a magnificent psychological operation, proving that fear of the unknown is the most reliable currency. The subscription model ensures that even if the prediction is wrong—and it often is—the customer will keep paying, convinced that the next prediction, the one unlocked by the more expensive tier, will finally hold the verifiable truth. It is a brilliant, self-sustaining ecosystem of hope, fear, and recurring billing.
This digital colonization of the spiritual realm ultimately serves to widen the existing societal chasms, creating a new, astrologically endorsed class structure. The “Elite Zodiac” members, those who can afford the full suite of personalized services, navigate life with a false sense of cosmic privilege. They believe their successes are engineered by their subscription, while the misfortunes of the Free Tier users are merely proof of their spiritual negligence or financial failure. The app, therefore, becomes a tool for social justification, validating the existing power structures by dressing up economic disparity as divine decree. The wealthy escape the randomness of fate with their credit cards; the common man is left to grapple with the raw, unedited, ad-supported chaos of existence. The only genuine spiritual truth remaining is that the house always wins, whether it’s the casino, the landlord, or the app developer who sells you a glimpse into your own impending poverty.
The satirical punchline, the final demisical drop, is that the ultimate “Ad-Free Fate” is not a premium subscription at all, but total non-engagement. The only way to truly defeat the tyranny of the astrological algorithm is to simply uninstall the app, step away from the glowing screen, and embrace the glorious, messy, un-monetized randomness of existence. But who has the courage for that radical act? We are too addicted to the illusion of insight, too tethered to the belief that the next notification will finally solve our problems. So, we stay subscribed, anxiously waiting for the digital sage to confirm what we already know: that destiny, like every other valuable resource, is now subject to the fluctuations of the market and the caprice of the quarterly earnings report. Until then, keep paying, keep hoping, and keep refreshing your feed for the next sign that the stars, or at least the app’s investors, smile upon you.
Authored six books on happiness: Cultivating Happiness, Nirvana – The Highest Happiness, Meditate Like the Buddha, Mission Happiness, A Flourishing Life, and The Little Book of Happiness. He served in a bank for thirty-five years and has been propagating happiness and well-being among people for the past twenty years. He is on a mission – Mission Happiness!
🌱When Social Change Meets the Stock Market: The Story of India’s Social Stock Exchange 🌷
On a warm afternoon in Bengaluru, a small education-focused NGO received a phone call it never expected. Their pilot programme—an after-school learning initiative in a government school cluster—had just raised its first tranche of funds through a new platform. The donors were not their usual circle of well-wishers; they were individuals and institutions who had discovered them on an unusual marketplace: a stock exchange created purely for social good.
Around the same time in Mumbai, a health-care non-profit working on affordable cancer care found itself on a larger stage than ever before. Their cause, once limited to annual fundraisers and sporadic grants, was now visible to thousands of socially minded supporters. The organisation raised funds through an unfamiliar yet intriguing instrument—one that carried zero interest, zero repayment, and yet required them to show measurable impact to donors.
Stories like these, which first surfaced online in 2023 and 2024, marked the quiet beginning of a new chapter in India’s development landscape. This was not a charity drive, nor was it a government scheme. It was something the country had never attempted before—bringing the social sector and capital markets onto a single, regulated platform.
This is the unfolding story of India’s Social Stock Exchange (SSE), a pioneering effort that blends trust, transparency, and social purpose into one remarkable idea.
🌱A Marketplace for Good: What Exactly Is the SSE?🌷
Imagine a marketplace where you are not buying shares of a company, but contributing to a measurable impact—more children in school, more families with access to clean water, more women receiving livelihood support. That, in essence, is the Social Stock Exchange.
The SSE is a dedicated, regulated segment within India’s two major stock exchanges—NSE and BSE. It allows:
🌱Not-for-profit organisations (NPOs)
🌱For-profit social enterprises
to raise funds from individuals and institutions who want to support social progress.
Unlike traditional stock trading, the focus here is not on financial returns but on social returns—clear, quantifiable improvements in people’s lives.
🌱The idea is beautifully simple yet powerful:
Offer NGOs and social enterprises a wider, more reliable channel to raise funds.
Ensure strict transparency, disclosure, and impact reporting so donors can see exactly how their money is used.
In other words, it’s not just fundraising—it’s fundraising backed by accountability, something India’s social sector has long needed.
🌱Where It All Began: A Vision from the Finance Ministry🌷
The seed for this idea was planted in the 2019–20 Union Budget, when the Finance Minister announced a bold proposal:
India would build a Social Stock Exchange, and SEBI—the country’s market regulator—would design the rules.
Over the next few years, the government amended securities laws, set up expert committees, and brought together specialists in impact finance, philanthropy, market regulation, and development practice.
These groups worked on questions such as:
🌱Who should be eligible to list?
🌱What kind of social activities should qualify?
🌱How will impact be measured?
🌱What must NGOs disclose?
🌱How will social audits work?
The result was a detailed, carefully built regulatory framework.
🌱The Role of SEBI and the Stock Exchanges🌷
From 2022 onwards, SEBI began rolling out the architecture of the SSE step by step.
🌷Key features of SEBI’s framework include:
🌱Eligibility criteria for NGOs and social enterprises
🌱A structured onboarding and listing process
🌱Mandatory annual impact reports
🌱Independent social audits conducted by trained, accredited auditors
🌱Specifications for unique fundraising tools like Zero-Coupon Zero-Principal (ZCZP) instruments
Both NSE and BSE then created dedicated SSE segments, published guidebooks for NGOs, and built online infrastructure for listing, reporting, and impact dashboards.
Alongside them, NITI Aayog, philanthropy networks, and advisory organisations began offering capacity-building programmes so that NGOs could prepare themselves for this new opportunity.
🌱The First Footprints: Progress Across India🌷
🌱By 2023–24, the SSE platforms were live.
🌱Dozens of NGOs registered. A smaller yet growing number completed the rigorous listing process. A few successfully raised funds through:
🌱ZCZP instruments (where donors get no financial return, but receive verified impact reports)
🌱Donation options via mutual-fund–linked channels
Early adopters tend to be organisations based in major cities or larger states—Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu—simply because they have more administrative capacity and familiarity with compliance.
In smaller towns and states, many NGOs are still learning about the platform and figuring out whether listing is right for them. But the momentum is unmistakable: curiosity is turning into exploration, and exploration into action.
🌱Where Things Stand Today 🌷
With regulations now consolidated into Chapter X-A of the ICDR Regulations, the structure is largely in place. The SSE is fully functional, yet still young.
Strengths visible today:
🌱Clear rules
🌱Few but successful fundraises
🌱Growing awareness
🌱A maturing ecosystem of social auditors and impact evaluators
🌷Challenges that remain:
🌱Limited investor familiarity
🌱Shallow market depth
🌱NGOs still adapting to impact-reporting systems
🌱Need for simplified compliance for smaller organisations
The platform has proved the concept; now it must scale.
🌱Why This Can Change India’s Development Landscape🌷
In the years ahead, the Social Stock Exchange could transform how India funds social progress.
🌱What could accelerate its growth?
🌱Tax incentives for ZCZP instruments
🌱Handholding support for smaller NGOs
🌱State-level outreach missions
🌱Integration with social-impact funds, blended finance, and CSR strategies
🌱A strong culture of standardised impact measurement
🌷If these pieces come together, the SSE could become the central hub for:
🌱CSR contributions
🌱Philanthropic finance
🌱Retail “social investors”
🌱Global impact-investment flows
🌱A New Way to Look at Returns: The SROI Link 🌷
At the heart of the SSE is a simple promise:
Your money must create visible, verifiable social value.
This philosophy mirrors the global concept of Social Return on Investment (SROI)—which asks:
🌱“How much social good is created for every rupee invested?”
On the SSE, this philosophy becomes part of the law. Listed organisations must publish:
🌱Annual impact reports
🌱Standardised output and outcome metrics
🌱Independent social audits
For the first time, India is institutionalising 🌷SROI thinking—not as fluffy jargon, but as a measurable commitment.
🌱Learning from the World 🌷
India is not alone in this experiment. Several countries have tried similar models:
🌱UK: The Social Stock Exchange (2013), focused mainly on accreditation and impact transparency
🌱Canada: Social Venture Connexion (SVX), connecting impact businesses with accredited investors
🌱Singapore, Brazil, South Africa, Kenya: Varied platforms—some full trading exchanges, others curated matchmaking portals
But India’s model is unique in its regulatory depth and its ambition to make social financing mainstream.
🌱What It Means for Different Stakeholders🌷
🌱For Students & Researchers
A rich field for studying impact finance, social enterprise regulation, and the evolution of SROI metrics. Comparative studies with global models offer fertile ground for research.
🌱For General Readers
An opportunity to “invest” in social change with transparency, where the main return is the satisfaction of measurable impact.
🌱For NGOs
A new highway opens up—one that offers visibility, credibility, and access to structured funding.
Success will depend on:
🌱Strong internal governance
🌱Clarity of mission
🌱Reliable impact-measurement systems
🌱Readiness for compliance
🌱For Beneficiaries
While the SSE does not directly change entitlements, it can channel more predictable funding into education, health, livelihoods and similar programmes—improving reach and service quality on the ground.
🌱A Quiet Revolution in the Making 🌷
India’s Social Stock Exchange is not just another financial innovation. It is a thoughtful, pioneering attempt to weave social purpose into the fabric of capital markets.
🌱Its future will depend on striking the right balance:
🌱Rigour without excessive burden
🌱Transparency without complexity
🌱Scale without losing authenticity
🌱Growth that remains rooted in mission
🌱Markets that serve people, not the other way round
If this balance is achieved, the SSE could become one of India’s most significant contributions to global development finance—a model that shows how trust, technology and transparency can come together to amplify compassion.
And perhaps, years from now, the success stories we hear will not just be a handful of early adopters but thousands of organisations whose journeys began on a platform built for one purpose:
to turn every rupee of goodwill into meaningful, measurable change.
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