I just read a few chapters of Imagining India at a borders near by, here's an interesting discussion by the same author.



PRAGATI: THE INDIAN NATIONAL INTEREST REVIEW 

Human capitalism 

A discussion on ideas for India’s future with Nandan Nilekani, the Indian entrepreneur and businessman. He currently serves as the Chairman of the new Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), after a successful career at Infosys Technologies Ltd. He recently published his first book, Imagining India.

Nitin Pai

Even before joining the Indian government to lead the national ID project, Nandan Nilekani — then chairman of Infosys Technologies — was engaged in a number of public policy initiatives. He is the president of the National Council of Applied Economic Research, a member of the National Knowledge Commission, a member of the board of governors of the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay and is involved in numerous other governmental and nongovernmental initiatives. The range of his interests and his passionate commitment to India’s future comes out in his book Imagining India – Ideas for a new century. As indeed, in his voice when he spoke to Pragati.

How would you define India’s national interest? When we posed this question to Jaswant Singh, he said it was the preservation of the resilient core of Indian society that is the heart of India’s national interest, because it is Indian society that keeps the wheels turning whatever is the political structure of the state. According to K Subrahmanyam, India’s national interest is to ensure high rates of growth, alleviate poverty and ensure good governance.

Anything that we can do to make the country stronger, more equitable, more secure, more fair and which can truly leverage the extraordinary opportunity—that would be the national interest. The definition of Indian society is amorphous and is prone to multiple interpretations. My view is that it is very rare that nations get an opportunity to lift a billion people out of poverty. And due to a confluence of events that I have described in my book, we have a truly extraordinary opportunity that comes once in a millennium. It is in our national interest to make the most out of that opportunity and achieve economic independence and fulfilment for all our citizens—doing that would automatically address the other challenges that we have.

Human capital 

Your book is about ideas, and you have quoted a number of people and their ideas. If you were to pick one to focus the governance agenda of the coming central government, what would it be?

The most important idea and the central theme that I start off in my opening chapter is the change in our view of the population. For a long time, in part due to international pressure, we treated our population as a burden and something that needed to be controlled. But today, we’ve finally realised that people are our biggest strength, our assets and not liabilities, that human capital is what makes you tick. The moment you think of our people as human capital then automatically the challenge becomes how do we make sure they are healthy, educated, have roads to go to work and school, have lights to study at night, have jobs and can become entrepreneurs. The fundamental shift in the way we think about population is the central theme of my book and everything I talk about is how do we leverage and exploit that human capital, and what are the obstacles that you see in doing that.

Vegas is know for gambling, partying and shopping, but I go to Vegas for the most amazing food, great shows and hotel decor!



We were in Vegas last weekend and my aim was to hit every spot in Paris. Thats where we were staying, in the Red Room, which is really pretty.



From the website.
"Timeless sensuality meets modern sophistication in our new Red Rooms. Cagley & Tanner's contemporary, fun design gives way to clean, classic bathroom layouts. Located on the highest floors of the hotel tower, the Red Rooms bring Paris to life with chic color palettes and signature sofas shaped like plump, puckered lips. We add thoughtful modern technology like 42" plasma-screen HDTVs and iHome units that combine iPod dock, alarm clock, radio and stereo sound."

First spot we hit was the La Creperie, little booth which has these amazing spinach crepes and bailey's coffee.



Next we had some of the most amazing desserts next door at the JJ's Boulangeris. On the website they have a recipe for one of their sandwiches.

After a few hours of sleep, we went to Ceasar Forum for some shopping and Dinner. Incredible decor again, never seen shops in such a beautiful mall:



Dinner at Il Mulino New York in the Ceasar Forum, incredibleIitalian restaurant on the 4th floor: "The cuisine at Il Mulino is influenced by the Abruzzi region of Italy, and is characterized by Old World style. The highest quality ingredients, which include veal and shelfish, are prepared at Il Mulino with a distinct blend of flavors."



We had to skip dessert and rush to see Jubilee, which is the last surviving show girls show in Vegas. Its too bad those acts are going away, the incredible feathers, sets, songs and dances!



"Jubilee's lavish stage spectacular has been entertaining Las Vegas audiences for two decades. Experience the most glitter this side of Las Vegas, from million dollar sets to costumes by Bob Mackie.

 

Jubilee vignettes include the sinking of the Titanic and the spectacular destruction of the Temple of Sampson and Delilah. And of course, there are the world famous Las Vegas Jubilee dancers who have been voted "Best Showgirls" by the Las Vegas Review Journal's "Best of Las Vegas" reader's poll."

It was Halloween weekend, so obviously it was a great night for people watching.. we stood by Margaritaville to see those crazy costumes at the bloc party and then by Miracle Mile shops before we called it a night.






Next day we had our morning coffee by the pool at Paris: Cafe Du Parc
"Hearty sandwiches and healthy salads are in abundance at this poolside bistro. Set in a manicured French garden beside our rooftop pool, du Parc caters to swimmers, sunbathers and anyone hungry for quick snack. This eclectic cafe offers convenience and exceptional food."




Brunch was in the Fashion Show Mall, at Cafe Ba Ba Re Ba





"The Sangria is seriously addicting and you could get by with drinks and a few small dishes and leave here very satisfied. They have Paella and it is very tasty but the Tapas is where the action is at. "

Then we walked around Encore and Wynn to find the perfect waterfall spot for a little taste of sweetness before we hit the road.



Place was called Sugar and Ice and I had the perfect Affagato - espresso and ice cream.