(Oct--17--2010) Sunday
In recent times (from 1962 onwards), I realized in my own experience that 98% of the Indians expect free services from astrologers, as a matter of right; others pay paltry amount as fees (Rs.1 to Rs.3 in 1964; and Rs.20 or 30 now in 2010). This results in the expert astrologer to leave astrology, as his main profession and take up other full time professions and make a decent living. I did not take astrology as a profession till Mar-2003 only because I can not earn even one plate-meal for one person a day on the income on astrology-services (it is really pathetic). I earned a high first class M.Sc. (in 1964) and a Ph.D. Degree in Electronics and Nuclear Physics (in 1970; three USA experts were examiners). I retired as a University Professor (Engineering) during Mar-2003. Expert-Astrologers like Prof. Tangirala Gopala Krishna Murthy, D.Sc. (Mahamahopadhyaya in Astrology); Prof. Pidaparthi Dakshina Murthy Sastry, M.Tech., Prof. M.Gopala Krishna, Ph.D., were other University Professors, who chose to forsake astrology as profession and change to better profession from their teenage. So the conditions for expert astrologers are very pathetic in present days and only quacks (so called Babas, Swamijis etc) are managing decent earnings (as paada-pooja dowries) by adopting various cheating techniques in the name of astrology. 98% of astrologers in India or abroad, I can say by my experience, are quacks. So if the people want expert astrologers to serve them genuinely, they must pay decent fees for their services (as they pay a medico or a lawyer or an auditor). Then only expert professional astrologers exist in India and people can expect genuine astrological guidance from them.