THE NP CHRONICLE : 3RD OCTOBER

The NP Chronicle 

3rd October

Gurcharan Das (born 3 October 1943) is an Indian author who wrote a trilogy based on the classical Indian goals of the ideal life.

India Unbound was the first volume (2002), on artha, 'material well-being', which narrated the story of India's economic rise from Independence to the global information age. Published in many languages and filmed by BBC, it was called "a quiet earthquake" by the Guardian. The second, The Difficulty of Being Good, is on dharma or 'moral well-being', and is "rich with learned musings on the epic, Mahabharata and its moral dilemmas" that speak to our day to day contemporary life. Kama: The Riddle of Desire is on the third goal of desire, and recounts a tale of "love and vulnerability, about self-doubt and betrayal, about wanting more of everything and being haunted by settling for less."

Das graduated with honours from Harvard University in Philosophy. He had later attended Harvard Business School (AMP), where he is featured in three case studies. He was CEO of Procter & Gamble India and later managing director, Procter & Gamble Worldwide (Strategic Planning). At age 50, he took early retirement to become a full-time writer.

Das is a regular columnist for The Times of India and five Indian language newspapers in Hindi, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, and Gujarati. He also contributes periodically to Financial Times, Foreign Affairs, Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times. Aside from the trilogy, his other literary works include a novel, A Fine Family, two book length essays, India Grows at Nights: A Liberal Case for a Strong State, The Elephant Paradigm, and an anthology, Three English Plays.

Source: Wikipedia

" _Dharma_ is easiest to spot by its absence: the _Mahabharata_ employs the pedagogical technique of teaching about dharma via its opposite, _adharma._"

-- Gurcharan Das

"When individuals blunder, it is unfortuante and their families go down. When rulers fail, it is a national tragedy."

-- Gurcharan Das 

"One should never do to another what one regards as injurious to oneself. This, in brief, is the law of dharma. —Mahabharata XVIII.113.8

-- Gurcharan Das, _The Difficulty of Being Good: On_ 

Alicia Amanda Vikander (/vɪˈkændər/; Swedish: [aˈlǐːsɪa vɪˈkǎnːdɛr] ⓘ; born 3 October 1988) is a Swedish actress. Her accolades include an Academy Award and an Actor Award, in addition to nominations for three BAFTAs and two Golden Globe Awards.

Source: Wikipedia

Today is:

▪︎ World Temperance Day

▪︎ National Techies Day

▪︎ German Unity Day

▪︎ Iraqi Independence Day

▪︎ Birth anniversary of Gurcharan Das, Alicia Amanda Vikander

GERMANY

Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Western and Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north with the Alps to the south. Its 16 constituent states have a total population of over 83 million, making it the most populous member state of the European Union (EU). Germany borders Denmark to the north; Poland and the Czech Republic to the east; Austria and Switzerland to the south; and France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands to the west. The nation's capital and most populous city is Berlin and its main financial centre is Frankfurt; the largest urban area is the Ruhr.

Germany ranks #4 overall in the world according to U.S. News & World Report Best Countries rankings.

*Economy & Trade* 

• Global Economy: #3 largest economy in the world by nominal GDP (behind the US and China) and the largest in Europe.

• Export Rank: #3 largest exporting nation globally, driven by vehicles, machinery, and chemicals.

• Global Competitiveness: #7 out of 141 countries (World Economic Forum).

*Society & Governance* 

• Human Development: #4 globally (United Nations HDI).

• Global Peace: #20 out of 163 countries (Global Peace Index).

• Democracy: #13 out of 167 countries (Democracy Index).

• Press Freedom: #11 out of 180 countries (Reporters Without Borders).

• Corruption Perception: #15 out of 180 countries (Transparency International).

*Innovation & Travel* 

• Innovation: #9 globally (Global Innovation Index).

• Passport Power: Tied at #4 worldwide for visa-free travel access.

• Tourism: #9 most visited country in the world with over 37 million annual foreign visitors.

*Sports & Military* 

• FIFA Men's Ranking: Ranked #12 in the world.

• Military Strength: Ranked #12 out of 145 countries (Global Firepower Index).

Source: Wikipedia

IRAQ

Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. Located within the Middle East, it is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south, Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and Kuwait to the southeast, Jordan to the southwest, and Syria to the west. The country covers an area of 438,317 square kilometres (169,235 sq mi) and has a population of over 46 million, making it the 58th largest country by area and the 31st most populous in the world. Baghdad, home to over 8 million people, is the capital city and the largest in the country.

*Key Global Rankings for Iraq* 

Category Rank / Score Details

▪︎ FIFA Men's Ranking   62nd (Live) / 1614 pts   Hovering around 57th to 63rd

▪︎ Military Strength 44th of 145 Power Index score of 0.8115

▪︎ Best Countries Overall 95th  Score of 35.9 (U.S. News)

▪︎ Human Development Index 126th Score of 0.695 (UNDP)

*Category Breakdown (U.S. News Best Countries)* 

• Health: 82nd

• Infrastructure: 82nd

• Economic Development: 88th

• Culture & Tourism: 90th

• Natural Environment: 93rd

• Governance: 98th

Source: Wikipedia