By Rajan Narayan

AND a few stray thoughts for yet another Saturday. For a Saturday following the week when the electronic media in the country adopted the role of generals. For a Saturday following the week, with the revelation that the gross enrollment ratio in Goa is just 36%, which is much lower than the new education policy target of 50%. For a Saturday following the week when to invest in gold. Gold investments have been consistently delivering double-digit returns over the last 25 years. For a Saturday following the week when power breakdowns not being limited to Goa and India. For a Saturday following the week when the increasing number of cases of dry grass fires, particularly in Taleigao. For a Saturday following the week when

AND a few stray thoughts on the electronic media in the country adopting the role of generals. Ever since the Pahalgam terror attack, the electronic media, particularly “India Today” and NDTV have become hyper-patriotic. The only news at prime time is India’s preparedness for a war with Pakistan. Anchors Rahul Kanwar and Goswami of Republic are echoing the virulent war rhetoric of the Narendra Modi government. The television channels’ focus is on the army, the navy, and the air force getting ready to teach Pakistan a lesson. The anchors have become self-styled defense experts and keep advising the government on teaching not only the terrorists but the Pakistan army a lesson.
The television channels keep focusing on how the Hindus were targeted by the terrorist. There is of course no criticism of the government and its intelligence failure to anticipate and tackle the terror attack. None of the electronic channels talk about the security lapses which made the attack possible. Instead they flash images of the houses of so called supporters of terrorists being destroyed in an around Pahalgam, without producing any evidence of their complicity.
There is no celebration of the locals who helped the tourists stay safe and alive. Unfortunately, war cannot be launched from television studios. Modi’s good friend Donald Trump, has made it clear that the United States is equally friendly with India and Pakistan. China did not permit a strong UN resolution condemning the terror attack. Instead of sharing all the details of the attack, including the security lapses, a journalist who ask questions was beaten up by Hindutva elements.
Even in Goa there were no photographs of the rally by Muslims condemning the terror attack. But every day there are YouTube videos of the BJP and Hindutva group protesting against the threat to Hindus. When I suggested that the Home Minister and the Lt Governor of the Union Territory of Kashmir should take responsibility, I was met with a volley of abuse. The Modi government has hauled up the British Broadcasting Service (BBC) for its coverage of the terror attack and the growing tension between India and Pakistan.
To India it is a terror attack but the British and American media refer to the terrorists as militants. The British media still insist that Kashmir is a disputed territory. The unfortunate part of the aftermath of the terror attack is the demonization of India’s Muslim population. The terror attack was not an attack by Muslims on Hindus. Just as the post-Godhra attack in Gujarat was not an attack by Hindus on Muslims, all terror attacks and communal riots are products of the “nafrat ki dukaan” (shop of hate).
AND a few stray thoughts on the revelation that the gross enrollment ratio in Goa is just 36%, which is much lower than the new education policy target of 50%. The enrolment ratio refers to the number of higher secondary students enrolling in institutions of higher learning, like colleges and universities. Never mind that Goa’s enrollment figure at 36% is higher than the national average of 28%. The number of students who drop out after the 10th standard is almost 70% who pass the exam. Of the students who pass the higher secondary, less than 20% do not enter college. What this effectively means that though Goa has a number of institutions of higher education, Goans either cannot afford the fees or do not qualify for admission to the top engineering and technology institutions in the state.
It’s shocking that more than 500 engineering seats remain vacant every year. Many general stream courses like BA in various subjects the economics and literature, do not have takers. The bitter ground reality is that there are no jobs even for those who pass out of the NIT and the IIT, and the BITs Pilani. Even if Goans get admission on merit, they have to go out of Goa for jobs.
The government insists that the low enrolment rate is due to many Goans opting for vocational courses after the 10th and 12th standard. Former directors of education point out that many students opt for diploma courses in hotel management or join the merchant navy. This is true only of a small proportion of Goans. There are very few Goans at the top in the hotel industry. Even the waiters in the restaurants are mostly from West Bengal or Nepal. Unless Goa develops in an industry nobody will be interested n going for higher education.
Goans are totally obsessed with government jobs and would rather remain unemployed than take low-paying private jobs. They can afford to remain unemployed because there are members of the family working abroad who support them to take care of family and property in Goa.

GOLD ONLY
AND a few stray thoughts on when to invest in gold. Gold investments have been consistently delivering double-digit returns over the last 25 years. The focus in Goa tends to the purchase of an investment in gold on Akshay Tritiya, which was celebrated on Wednesday, April 23. Given the global uncertainty following the tariff war initiated by US President Donald Trump, the price of gold has reached the highest ever level over the last 25 years.
On Akshay Tritiya the gold was selling at an average of Rs43,000 per 10 grams in 2021. Last year, the price of 10 grams of gold was Rs 73,000. In April 2025, the price crossed Rs1 lakh. So much so, the return on the gold that you purchased in 2000 is 26.5%. Gold has become the only reliable investment avenue with all the turbulence in the stock markets. Small investors have lost hundreds of crore of rupees following the crash in prices after Donald Trump came to power in the US. Everyone was advised to invest in mutual funds. The SIP was considered a safe means of investment that will provide a steady return. Those who took the advice were better because SIPs have not yielded even a 5% return on investment.
The average Indian, particularly women, has considered gold the only safe investment. It is recommended that 15% to 20% of the family savings should be invested in gold. You have the option in investing in gold bonds of the RBI, which guarantee conversion into actual gold if you want to redeem them.

POWER BREAKOUT
AND a few stray thoughts on power breakdowns not being limited to Goa and India. Earlier in the week, on Monday, April 28, virtually the whole of Portugal and Spain were plunged into darkness for almost 20 hours. With the total reliance on electricity, there was a complete shutdown in Portugal and Spain. The trains stopped running. Smartphones could not be charged. The internet was down. The highly networked banks could not function. The television channel stopped broadcasting. All business establishments, including restaurants and hotels, and supermarkets, had to shut down. The residents of Portugal and Spain could not withdraw money as the ATMs stopped functioning. Spanish airports have to shut down as the backup generators could not take the load. And Lisbon airport slows down as tourists wait outside the news about flights. The streets were fill with people who had to step out because there was no power at their homes. The only saving grace was that they could enjoy the sunshine on the terrace of their building and the parks and beaches.
So may be Goa and India are not that bad considering that our power cuts are not serious enough to cripple life. But those of us who live in an increasingly digital world have to ensure with some backup against power breakdowns. Battery inverters still provide the best protection against a power cut. In any case, in Goa, most big shots, restaurants and hotels have backup generators as government supplies are not reliable.

FIRES OF TALEIGAO
AND a few stray thoughts on the increasing number of cases of dry grass fires, particularly in Taleigao. There was panic on Monday, April 28 when the dry grass next to the open areas next to the Copperleaf restaurant caught fire around 12 noon. The fire brigade has reported that the fire was set deliberately. There have been many such dry grass fires in Taleigao where there is the huge demand for land for construction purpose.
The builder’s lobby seems to be determined to take over the few paddy fields left for building premium housing complexes. The residents of Taleigao have been protesting strongly against the huge building complexes coming up on soft paddy field lands. The local panchayat has ignored the complaints of the villagers as the lands presumably have been bought up by the Monserrate family.