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“On a more selfish note,” saidArvind, “it has saved the time of mystaff who used to go to the RotaryOffice every week to update their database.Now the data comes from theRotary Office in the form of a softcopy which is udpated into our system.The make-up data is still manuallyupdated but efforts are on toeliminate even this in the comingyear.”At a Club meeting at which he introducedthe new system, Arvind saidthat the ID cards issued to membershad the unique Rotary Identificationnumber that was exclusive to everymember – not only at the Club levelbut also at the R.I level. This numberwould be useful even when memberswent abroad, especially in Clubs thathad already computerised their attendanceand other records.Arvind gave full credit to PresidentNowroze who initiated this innovationand without whose active guidanceand support the entire exercisewould have been futile.Mr. Eruch Irani and his team at theRotary office patiently vetted thesystem and were now using it successfully.In another initiative, memberspossible to trigger all-round prosperityby encouraging “consumption”.Introduced as the pioneer of the modernretail business in India and mentorto many entrepreneurs, he spokeon “Retail and beyond” and was heardin rapt attention by a full house in theBall Room.From the three-letter word “Buy”to the four-letter “Land” – “Get land,forget it and then sell it for windfallreturns at a huge profit!”Mr. Anuj Puri, Chairman andCountry Head of Jones Lang LaSalle(JLL), said that Mark Twain was onthe spot when he said “Invest in land,because we are not making any moreof it”. To prove his point, he claimedthat the medium-to-long-term returnfrom office premises was $1.2 forevery $1 invested and from residentialproperty a mere $1.1.But those who bought land, left itas it was and did nothing about it,made a lot of money when they soldit. A survey by JLL showed that landyielded a whopping $5.2 on every $1invested. The message was clear – getland, forget it, then sell it for a hugeprofit!He added with a straight face thatthose who worked hard for years creatingJust when the whole world wascelebrating the discovery of the elusiveHiggs boson, also described as“the God particle”, along came a researchscientist from the TIFR whohad worked at the one and only CERNlaboratory to say that he was willingto accept a wager on whether theHiggs had actually been found.Not merely that, the Professor saidat the end of his talk that he did notbelieve science would ever be able tounderstand the origin of the universe.With that, Prof. Spenta Wadia completeda stimulating oration on “TheHiggs” in the course of which hetraced man’s understanding of theuniverse and the efforts made to plugthe loopholes in knowledge.From the fundamentals of matterand the universe, members came downwith a thud when the very nextspeaker, Ms Brinda Somaya, architectand heritage conservationist, toldthem in no uncertain terms that theircity would never be free of slums.“Let’s be realistic. We’re not goingto be able to get rid of slums. Theonly thing we (the privileged people)can do is think about how to improvethem and learn how to live cheek byjowl with them.“Many rehabilitation projectshave been implemented but thenumber of slums is increasing atan even faster pace... We havereached a stage where probably 55to 60% of the city is now in unorganisedhousing, a more pleasantterm for slums,” she said.Ms Somaya added that the time hadcome for politicians and bureaucratsto understand that urban design andplanning were highly technical areasand they had to have the courage andability to appoint professionals; theirjob then would be only to get thingsexecuted. But the problem was thateverybody seemed to know everythingabout everything and hence nodecisions were taken by anybody.In an unintended irony, the verynext week saw one of the biggest realestate barons of India, Mr. NiranjanHiranandani, asserting that “Whetherit’s housing, re-housing, infrastructureor new concepts, moneywill follow innovative ideas whereverwe can create them, whether in governmentor in the private sector, whetheryou're putting up a hospital,building or industry. Money is available...good people are not. Leadershipis lacking”.would be given the option of going onthe net and entering make-up attendancedetails, thus avoiding the needto send to the Rotary office the makeupcards received during their visitsto other Clubs. The Committee wascollaborating with Mr. Viraf Hansotiaof Spenta Multimedia and wouldimplement this system from the newRotary year.As per his wont, Arvind once againfollowed the policy, “without cost tothe Rotary Club of Bombay”.Well done, Arvind!Programmesassets, whether office, commer-cial or residential properties, only lostmoney. But not those who boughtland.Out-of-the-box thinking couldhelp end corruption in the countrybut the process had to involve allsections of society, politicians, bureaucrats,civil society and ordinarycitizens. Just as records were meantto be broken, good ideas were meantto be copied. And ideas were aplenty,whether indigenous or from distantlands.However, according to Mr. S. ShankarMenon, a retired IAS officerPP Haresh JagtianiHaresh and Harish (Anil) made a and former Additional Chief Secretaryto the Government of Maha-perfect team as they set out tooffer members some delectable fareat the Tuesday meetings. They alwaysrashtra, the one essential ingredientin any effort to end corruption had toGermany and France are the original bad boys of the European Union.Thus spake the well-known economist, Dr. Ajit Ranadehad a standby speaker and keptthe President in the loop about theirchoice of speakers. They also invitedand welcomed suggestions frommembers for speakers.The duo could not have found abetter opening batsman than the toastof the retail world, Mr. KishoreBiyani, Founder and CEO of theFuture Group. He presented his readingof economics (and a very successfulone at that) when he urged peopleto “Buy, buy, buy! That’ll help thecountry grow... Consumption at theretail level will make us one of themost powerful economies in theworld”.A first-generation entrepreneurbe an inner desire to end it once andfor all.“Germany and France are the originalbad boys of the European Union,”according to one of India’s leadingeconomists, Dr. Ajit Ranade, ChiefEconomist with the Aditya BirlaGroup of Industries. Speaking on“Europe – crisis or not?” he said therewas indeed a crisis in Europe but neitherwould it lead to a break-up of theEuro Zone nor would it sink the Eurocurrency.However, the crisis would not endovernight. It would be a long-drawn,painful process with brinkmanshipon a daily basis. German ChancellorAngela Merkel would act tough andwho called himself a humble shopkeeper,he proclaimed that it was going to keep quiet either.First to speak on 'The Higgs' and then to receive the Sohrab Godrej Awardthe French and the Italians were not He came, he saw and he shone. Prof. Spenta Wadia visited the Club twice.June 25 to July 1, 2013 THE GATEWAY, The Bulletin of the Rotary Club of Bombay Page 9