While there are plenty of indications that the techno power is likely to shift from the West to the East, the weathercock has yet to crow in the winds of change. Both India and China have yet to charter a long way between the cup and the lip.

Any one visited Shanghai, recently? When I did, I felt caught in a time warp - was I stepping into a place that was already in the future or was I so far, living way back in the past? The question is rhetorical, though the possibilities it throws up are at the very least, interesting. Look up Shanghai's Urban Planning Exhibition Hall and you'll see what I mean.

While 'Made in China' is a label that no longer surprises, eyes are opening wide to the 'indi-chini bhai bhai' mutual admiration society. This camaraderie has bided its time in developing, but given India's economic performance in the last few years, the Chinese hare has had to see the merit in the slow but steady Indian tortoise.

"A New Dance"? is what he interestingly calls the budding relationship between China & India - a dance where one and then the other leads, straining to listen to the changing music.

Just the other day I was chatting with an army officer who was complaining about the special privileges extended to lady officers in the forces. Needless to say, he was a male and his point of view was that women had no place in the army. They could not be sent into combat and that they got all the "cushy"? postings and deprived male officers of their rights.