Quick notes: Train 18 | Rooftop solar...

• Train-18 success story: The real importance of Train 18 lies in the lessons it holds for frugal engineering, project management and empowering managers who dare to dream big.. General manager S Mani conceptualised the project and tenaciously followed up for getting the Railway Board to approve for the ICF to build two prototype train-sets.  With just about 18 months left for his superannuation, Mani put together a key team at the ICF with a remit to “design and manufacture the best train ever made in India,” matching world standards.



• Someone talking sense: Install solar power panels on rooftops, not in large farms or power plants. The main advantage of solar is that they can be installed at a micro level even on the rooftop, but the govt is more focussed on larger plants.



• Taking baby steps: Apple starts selling 'Assembled in India' iPhone XR model



• Uighur Gulag: Did a Muslim slave make your Chinese shirt?



• Kanwal Sibal: “China did not play by WTO rules, so will it play by RCEP rules?” . . . . . . . RCEP will bypass WTO and offload excess agricultural produce from China, like grains, seeds and milk, into the Indian markets freely. Shifting our balance of payment and food sovereignty into the hands of China will be detrimental to the nation.



• Inequality For All: Something skewed about India's "growth story"




• Car-free cities are picking up speed . . . . . Car ownership is a trap that can be prevented.
  



• Indian tech needs State Capitalism: Within Banglore there must be enough knowledge to build what Huawei has. But they all sit in US cos.

Within Banglore there must be enough knowledge to build what Huawei has. But they all sit in US cos. India is a huge market but we haven't used our market power. China doesn't buy anything from US without insisting that they want 10 % IP in the product in 3 years.
Prof Paul Raj

— Nilesh Shah (@NileshShah68) October 22, 2019




• Reject Halal food:

People across the world are rejecting Halal food. Here are the reasons. pic.twitter.com/btLle3HO2s

— Upword (@upword_) October 21, 2019




• China is developing 'Magnetized Plasma Artillery': The magnetized plasma layer protects the gun barrel from wear and heat, and allow the projectile to achieve a higher launch velocity.