Battles Are Forever

A Day in the Life of a Thinker!

2012-01-10T23:58:00.000+05:30

I failed. Yeah you read that right. I failed, and that too for the first time. Okay, I am not talking about life in general but about my academics. I failed to get pass marks in the theory paper of Financial Accounting in the first semester. As a result I have to take the exam again. Okay, I agree this is no big news, but still it serves as a reminder that I need to work harder. Especially in finance. Though I continue to hate the subject.

Today was an eventful day. I did quite a few things, and will try to narrate some of them down in this post. Right now, I am quite tired, though it’s already 10:40 pm, yet I am in a great mood.

Today was an off day, and I had decided that I would visit a historical monument. I had Qutub Minar in my mind initially. But the problem was getting a group to go there, and actually convince people to get out of the comfort of their blankets[Delhi winter is no joke, most people sleep comfortably till 12 pm at least]. I called up quite a few people, including Mayank[who had woken up early at 12:30 pm] and Shashank[also just woken]. Both refused. I also suggested visiting the new Pagalguy office[which I plan to in future]. Then I called up Ankit who suggested going to the Auto Expo. Unfortunately the seats were all sold out. Ultimately Ankit was busy with his personal work as well. Divya and Sheetal were both busy with work, and Preethi and Neha refused for other reasons too. Failure again? Move on.

Abhirup agreed to go, and I also managed to convince Rakesh to come. Ashish was a bit hesitant and ultimately did not turn up. We reached ‘Vishwavidyalaya’ metro station and met up with a group who was going to watch the India versus Bayern Munich football match. And Rakesh decided to go with them. So I was left with only Abhirup in the end. But it was good, though. We did enjoy to the fullest. We decided to go to the Red Fort, which was near Chandni Chowk. It was my first trip to the Historical Monument and Abhirup was the perfect guide. He showed me across all the important areas. Whether it be the Diwaan-E-Khaas or the Royal Throne[where once peacock throne stood]. You can check the album here:

Red Fort

I had a great time roaming around the place. It was serene, and I felt oddly calm moving around the lawns, gardens, and also visited an ‘Arms’ museum, which hosted some weapons of the First World war era[see the album for details].

After coming out of the Red Fort, we took a trip amongst [which is probably the worlds most chaotic] the Chandni Chowk roads, and had lunch at McDonalds. We also saw the Sis Ganj Gurudwara which is in Chandni Chowk itself. Finally we returned to North Campus and I stayed in Abhirup’s room in VKRV Rao Hostel for a couple of hours or so. Had a mini manga discussion with Abhinav Sareen and Shivan Nair. And then some gossip with Abhirup and Vipul.

Finally, I left at around 6:30 pm, and decided to walk all the way to my Kamla Nagar flat from the hostel[must be more than 3 kms at least]. In this cold, some people would say it was a foolish decision, but for some odd reason I wanted to walk. And think. Which I did. I tried to notice every single detail I could. The sweatshirts of other students which bore the college tags. The dusky roads, and the illuminated street lights. The distinct images of the colleges and the hostels. The DU stadium. The rickshaws. The vehicles. The guards and the policemen. And the people. Rich and the poor. I walked along past FMS, and on towards the crowded Kamla Nagar market[where Traffic jams are a necessity]. Suddenly a few students started shouting out at me from their car. Maybe they were drunk. Or in a jubilant mood. I merely smiled and moved on. Lots of thoughts went through my mind. About growing inequality in India, poverty, obsession with showing off one’s wealth, over crowded areas, etc etc. How people continue to ignore the poverty, filth and misery around them, as if it simply does not exist. How everyone is too bothered with their own affairs to think about anything else. How rich girls keep arguing over the color of their clothes while shopping, while small children behind them shiver in the cold. How students(and others) continue to smoke freely in a SO-CALLED SMOKE FREE campus. How people continue to deposit garbage out in the open, spit freely, and use the roadsides as toilets. How people cannot even adhere to basic traffic norms out here. Am I being too negative? Perhaps. But I certainly do not exaggerate.

I am reading quite a few good books right now. Started off the Shiva trilogy. I must say that Amish is a brilliant author. Tomorrow the CAT 2011 results shall be announced. I will be active on Pagalguy. I am also learning Punjabi[Gurumukhi]. And watching Science Fiction documentaries, hosted by the famous physicist, Michio Kaku.

In all, I walked for over 5 kms today. Walking is a very healthy exercise I feel. Do try it. Anyways, I shall end here for today. Hope you enjoyed reading. Have a good day, and enjoy every day to the fullest. Best wishes.

Myths and Realities of an MBA and Bschool Life

2011-12-30T15:03:00.000+05:30

Okay, here are some common myths and realities related to an MBA degree and Bschool life. I realize that many MBA aspirants have several misconceptions and preconceived notions about MBA, and hence this effort in getting rid of some of the false inklings which people have in general.

1) Myth: Getting into a Top 15 Bschool is incredibly difficult for an average student[with average background]

Reality:
Nothing can be further away from the truth. Granted, quite a large chunk of students studying in IIMs, etc are from top engineering colleges with decent acads, but that does not mean an average student can’t make it. If you are willing to work hard and maintain your focus, you can surely make it. To give my own example, I am from one of the third class, unknown private engineering college in India and yet I made it to FMS in my very first attempt.

2) Myth: An MBA is a shortcut ticket to success, fame and money. You shake hands with CEO’s, ride in luxury cars, attend corporate parties, and get to date attractive women.

Reality: Of course it isn’t[this one should be obvious, but unfortunately it isn’t]. Most of the 2000 or so Bschools out there simply exist for the purpose of lightening your purses. If you still haven’t understood what I mean, then I pity you. An MBA, even from an IIM won’t automatically grant you success. You need to keep working hard throughout your life and be prepared for failures.

3) Myth: All MBA graduates from a good Business school end up as millionaires after they pass out/get 7 digit salaries/international placements in USA, Switzerland and Australia

Reality: Just a handful of students actually get a really high pay package, but unfortunately they hog all the spotlight, thanks to our media. What does not actually get highlighted, is that there are quite a few[read:many] students who actually do an internship without a stipend and end up with a pay package[finals] of what many of you may be earning before doing an MBA. This is even true of IIMs and other top bschools.

4) Myth: i) I want to become an Entrepreneur. And with so many Bschools stressing on Entrepreneurship and having courses on the same, I should opt for MBA.
ii) [On similar lines]: I plan to run an NGO. I am very much into Social service. But for this an MBA is a pre-requisite since all Bschools are stressing on rural marketing and CSR.

Reality: Listen people. Grow up. Come on, enough with lame excuses of doing an MBA. If you don’t have any reason to opt for it, be honest and bold enough to say the same. Such lame excuses of being an Entrepreneur or the next Social Activist and then later on safely opting for a high paying corporate job is simply ridiculous. Move on. You can be a decent Entrepreneur and an NGO activist without even thinking of an MBA.

5) Myth: An MBA degree is only meant for Engineers.

Reality: This is one myth which I almost agree with. Especially in the Indian context. But with respect to a global scenario, I would definitely say that your educational background does not matter as long as you are clear with your career goals. Do some research into the course contents of an MBA before you apply. If you have no interest in subjects such as Cost Accouting, Marketing Research, Operations Research or Organizational Behavior, I think you are better off not doing an MBA.

6) Myth: You don’t get any sleep during an MBA course. You keep working 24 x 7, 365 days of the year. All you do is assignments, projects and tests with little time for entertainment.

Reality: This was one thing even I was apprehensive of before joining a Bschool, especially considering the fact that I was used to sleeping 10 hours a day during Engineering. But this of course depends on your time management skills. An MBA course will be hectic and will require a certain amount of commitment, sacrifices and dedication. But that does not mean you will get no free time at all, in fact you can definitely take out time to see movies, hang out with friends and stuff. But yes, considering it’s a Masters course and a highly demanding professional one at it, be prepared for a different kind of lifestyle[especially if you are a fresher, work ex people usually do not have problems in adjusting to this work-life balance].

7) Myth: All Top bschool Faculty members are Gods and everyone gets a chance to intern abroad/apply for a student exchange programme/do an international project

Reality: True, you will certainly come across some brilliant teachers. But the fact remains that majority of the faculty will be average, and in some cases even poor or abysmal. This has more to do with the Indian education scenario than the Bschool itself. Hardly anyone gets into teaching for the love of it. Some do it, in order to network and carry out their research/publications, others do it due to lack of alternate opportunities. So do not expect God level teachers to train you. As for the second point, just a few selected students get to intern abroad or do an international project. Even in the top Bschools. And in many cases the student has to bear his/her own expenses. So just because you got into a Top bschool doesn’t mean you are catching the next month flight to New York in order to do a Customer Behavior survey.

These are some of the few points I came up with. May add more in future.
I would like to thank some of my batchmates who have made Life in FMS ‘indeed’ beautiful. In no particular order:

Mayank, Sheetal, Akhil, Shimona, Abhirup, Divya, Suhail, Preethi, Ankit, Richie, and many more. Thanks a lot guys. :)

How does one Vote matter?

2011-12-27T19:58:00.000+05:30

I was sitting in my room cribbing about reservations[one of my favorite pass time], when suddenly one of my batchmates explained a concept to me, and I was like-‘Why the hell didn’t I think of it before?’

Normally, I was a bit angry about the fact that there were people in my Bschool who had scored half the marks I had, and not only did they manage to get into the college, but they also managed to get a DU hostel seat simply because of the fact that they had a caste category certificate, labeling them as a SC or ST. Whereas I narrowly missed out on getting a hostel, and the guy[nobody in particular] who didn’t even deserve to be here in the first place is now enjoying in the hostel. Then the talks shifted to diluting the brand quality of the college, as such people are used to taking shortcuts in their life, and in majority of the cases they don’t need it. That is they are not from a poor background, and quite a few of them are actually from higher class, upper middle class backgrounds.

Then my friend explained to me the reason for the same. Of course it’s just easy to say-‘Vote bank politics’ and then grumble about it, but why the vote bank politics? He gave me his own life example. He told me that his grandfather had set up a village in Uttar Pradesh and had invited people from backward castes to come and work. Over time they settled there, and their family expanded. Now their descendants blindly go and vote for politicians of the same caste, without even thinking twice. It does not matter if the politician is good or bad, honest or corrupt. Only the caste matters. And these people endure the weather; stand in queues for hours on end to give their votes. Whereas people in middle class such as us don’t bother and make trivial excuses such as ‘Its too hot. Its raining. I wont go and stand in a queue. Whats the point of voting anyways? All of them are corrupt. It doesn’t matter who comes into power. They wont do anything for us.’ Such pre-conceived notions are harmful for our society and nation as a whole.

If ALL of us vote[am mostly referring to the General class here] then the politicians will be bound to take note of it. They will know that even the General class has the power to throw them off their seats. Which will minimize irrelevant reservation in seats. But as long as you or me are lackadaisical about voting, things are not going to improve anytime soon.
P.S.- I don’t even have a voter’s ID card. Its high time I got one. And if you do not vote, please make sure you start doing so. Don’t think that it’s the matter of just one vote. Every person’s contribution is significant.

Yeh Hai Delhi Meri Jaan!

2011-11-18T23:18:00.000+05:30

Fine. Right now, am sitting on the upper berth of the Sealdah to New Delhi Rajdhani express and typing whatever comes to my mind on my Vaio. Its 9:43 pm according to my laptop’s clock, and the train is supposed to reach Delhi at 10:20 am. So I have roughly, 12 and a half hours to kill. Since I rarely ever get any sleep on overnight train journeys. I could go back to playing Angry Birds[or maybe not, am already sick of that game], or maybe listen to some songs or maybe watch a movie. Well, I saw Million Dollar Baby, and that left a bitter taste in the mouth. Don’t get me wrong, the movie is fantastic, but somehow I prefer happy endings more. I guess that’s what life is about. The ups and downs.

I was at home for a week[returned home after a 4 month stint at FMS]. And I got horribly bored. Reason being not a single friend of mine was available. Am actually glad to be returning to FMS, where I am sure there will be tons of activities to do[Our Annual Fest, Fiesta is just around the corner]. I have mentally prepared a list of To-Do’s for this semester[next 4 months]. How successful I will be is yet to be seen. For the first time in my life I shall be witnessing the dreaded Delhi winter. Need to be prepared.

I think I need to renovate and market my blog. Or maybe create a new one. I feel like writing a lot, but when it actually comes to down to sitting and typing, I somehow lose interest. Not sure why. Just two days ago, I was writing a post on love and my past/present crushes, but somehow I could not muster courage to write much about it. Hence, discarded that document. Perhaps I do not want to share my personal details with others. Nevertheless, that is a thing of the past. Now on to the future[and no, I am not sure if I will get a girlfriend here or not].

Sigh, its 9:55 pm now. I feel that the Indian Railways is one of the most poorly managed industries in India. With over 14 lakh employees, and losses amounting to thousands of crores, it could do lot to improve its image. I feel that the private sector should be allowed to step in and modernize the platforms and the carriages. There is no reason why bullet trains cannot be operated in India, and why the platforms cannot be kept clean and hygienic. Anyways, enough of complains.

Am I satisfied with the beginning of an MBA? Is my life going the way I had expected it to be? I am not sure. I have surely met lots of intelligent and capable people after coming here, and have surely got opportunities I would not have otherwise got. But, somewhere, something is missing. I do not feel that corporate life is my true calling. I will try following my passion nevertheless. Right now, am excited about my role in Tata Motors[internship starts next year-April or May].

So How is Delhi like for an outsider? Being from a small town, I find it big and overcrowded. There is too much pollution and dirt, as is common in most Indian metro cities. The crime rate is high, and corruption is rampant. Nevertheless, Delhi has lot to offer. From the historical monuments to the best educational institutes in the country. I found Delhi University to be a fascinating and worthy area to be in. It has a vibrant, student friendly atmosphere. The metro is of course, one of Delhi’s USP. Fast and convenient, it’s the preferred mode of transport for many. The food may be heavy and rich, but relished by most. Almost everyone knows at least some amount of Punjabi[many are fluent]. Delhi has a sizeable population of Sikhs, and you can find one at every corner[unlike back home]. People of all religion mix together freely, and have fun.
Yet, poverty is rampant, and I have been to a few slums. The living conditions of the people is absolutely below standard, and I was simply appalled to see their condition. 8-9 people living in one small room, which has just one light bulb, and a rusted bed[made of ropes]. No television, no bathroom, no fan, not even a ventilator. The children seemed lively and kept playing their games, unaware of the misery their parents were facing. One of the people told us that some hoodlums came every month to take money from them, under the pretext of cleaning up the place[which they never did]. I wonder what the Government is doing about it. But everyone needs to play their part.

I guess I will sign off here and try to go to sleep. Lots of things to be done, books to be read, games to be played. And yeah, am really looking forward to 2 games in particular- Elders Scroll 5: Skyrim, and Batman: Arkham City. For next year, it’s going to be Mass Effect 3 and Metal Gear Solid: Rising.

See ya folks. And keep smiling.

End of the First Semester/Innings

2011-11-10T13:05:00.000+05:30

Finally, the first semester of FMS draws to a close. Like everyone else, I too had my own share of ups and downs, but mostly ups, as FMS was a welcome change in my otherwise dull/boring life.

I made quite a few good friends, got to interact with the best brains in India, and top Industry personnel including Management Executives of premier organizations. Also interacted with many experienced people in the various FMS events, seminars, Annual Conclave, guest lectures and company presentations.

As for the studies part, well I did not do much in it. Just attended classes, delivered presentations, assignments, projects, and the usual stuff. To be frank, I hardly studied much, just revised somehow before the exams and hoping to pass in the 8 subjects. I did understand, however, that I suck in Finance and Economics[I messed up both those exams]. Am not really that good in Maths either.

I have finalized upon my specialization, and as many of you may be knowing, it is HR. I was interested in HR even before I joined FMS, and will stick to my earlier decision. I was lucky to get an internship in HR and IR from Tata Motors, and am really looking forward to my project[which the HR manager said would be very challenging].

The past 4 months have been eventful, and I have learned a lot. Be it from seniors, the faculty, industry people, or my own batchmates, there is always something new to be learned. Life in FMS is hectic, contrary to what many people believe. I barely slept for 2-3 hours daily[during the initial stages]. Slowly getting used to this new lifestyle.

Have loads of things planned out in the next semester. I have made it to the HR & OB society of FMS, and hopefully will be involved in some exciting events, with an atmosphere full of fun and learning.

Really happy for Doc[Shashank]and Neha who got placed in TAS. Mayank will be interning in Dabur. For a detailed report, you can go through this link:
Summer Placements 2011

Next up, the FMS Fest: Fiesta.

And some masti in DU and other parts of Delhi ;) [have to visit loads of places, and counting on the delhites for that :P ].

Take care folks. :)

Why Japan?

2011-10-10T11:31:00.002+05:30

Over the months, and perhaps years, countless people have asked me the same question- ‘Why do you like japan so much?’ I have given the same answer thousands of times. Now I think its time I put it down properly in written. So that everyone can read about my thoughts and feelings when it comes to the Land of the rising sun, Nihon or Nippon.

I guess I started watching anime when I was in class 1 or so. The show was called Ninja Robots, and it aired on cartoon network. I still remember the characters- Joe Maya, Cybertron, and so on. I got fascinated by seeing the robots battle it out for the survival of the earth and intergalactic space wars. But the thing which impressed me the most was not the technical genius of the Japanese animation, but the concept of good versus evil which is very common in most Japanese anime. In many of such serials, the hero has to train and learn to fight, before rising up the ranks to face a legendary evil foe. In many instances, the villain was once the disciple of a famous guru, or sensei[teacher in Japanese]. But he ended up betraying his people and chose to follow the dark side. The Hero has to learn to fight, to protect his friends, family and work as a team.

As I grew up, I was introduced to several other anime, and the once which enthralled me were DragonballZ, Pokemon, Cardcaptor Sakura, Digimon, Inuyasha, Samurai X, Naruto, Bleach, Death Note, Full Metal Alchemist and Fairy Tail(the only anime I am watching at present) to name a few. Needless to say, I became an anime and manga(Japanese comics) fan. I started reading a lot about Japan and the Japanese way of living/culture. I read the popular book on the Japanese style of management- ‘Made in Japan’, the autobiography of the Sony founder, Akio Morita. What impressed me the most, was to see the spirit of unity amongst the Japanese people. They have a ruthless Never Say Die attitude, and they will continue to fight back in spite of facing several hardships. Their country was nuked in 1945, yet within 20 years they were ready to host the Olympics. They have faced countless earthquakes and tsunamis over the years, yet after each disaster, they continue to rebuild and work together in harmony. They are ready to die for their country, and even within organizations, people consider each other to be part of the same family.

The Japanese are incredibly well disciplined and polite. Many are soft spoken and do not raise their voice even if they are angry. They will systematically do their work, stand patiently in queues when required, and will help each other out in times of crisis. No wonder that Japan has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. People can rely upon each other any time. They are also good natured, simple, down to earth people, though they have mastered technology to create unique, innovative devices. The Japanese transport system is known to be amongst the best in the world.

Samurai and Ninja movies have always fascinated me. Most Japanese people will have some association with sword fighting or martial arts or sumo[their national sport]. Though the movies are generally for entertainment purpose only, it is quite interesting to read about the history of the samurais, the Meiji Revolution in the 19th century, and the formation of Japan as it is today.

I know some basic amount of Japanese, and intend to learn it completely within the next two years. I do hope that I can work in Japan in the future.
I can keep on writing on and on about Japan and the Japanese people, but will prefer to end here. As is widely known, they have a strict code of honour, ,and they do their best to preserve it. Am patiently waiting for the day when I get to visit this amazing country.

New Blog

2011-06-28T14:51:00.000+05:30

This is the link of my new blog,:

Being FaMouS!

I shall not be discontinuing this blog, but will not be as active as before. However all of my Non-FMS related posts shall be posted here. But for details about my MBA life at FMS, do visit and read the posts in my new blog. :)

Thank you again for your support. I have had the pleasure of interacting with hundreds of bloggers and all of their blogs have made some impression on me. Take care and happy blogging.

Regards,

Satwinder Singh,
FMS Delhi,
Class of 2013.

Some Solutions!

2011-06-15T12:09:00.002+05:30

All right, am back with another important post. In the past I have criticized a lot about the flaws in the Indian education system, etc etc. Now I believe it’s time we take a look at the plausible solutions for improving our education system, rather than just remain passive lookers and blamers.

I am listing down a few things which can be done, and these are definitely not ALL the things which need to be done, but just a few important things which can be done. And they are not arranged in order of importance.

1) Funds: Obviously, the number one thing which comes to our mind is allocation of funds. Reservation for education has been usually 3 percent of the total budget or less. Which is clearly not enough. The Government has ignored the Education sector for over 40 years. Its high time it looked forward to improving the quality of the poorly managed government schools and colleges. Infrastructure is also important. It is very important to build facilities for drinking water and toilets for both boys and girls. Many schools don’t even have such basic amenities. As a result, even the poor prefer to send their children to private schools. Then there is again the problem of absenteeism. It is estimated that 50% of the teachers don’t even turn up most of the time. Lots of other problems can come in this factor.

2) Autonomy: It is ironic that at one hand, thousands of dubious private colleges are duping people into joining their institutes, and the genuine colleges are being over-burdened with useless tasks related to bureaucracy. Even the IITs and IIMs do not have ultimate autonomy to take their own decisions. The Government, by interfering into the private decisions of the colleges is making things even worse. The colleges should be free to design their own curriculum and to allocate the faculty they deem fit.

3) Curriculum: Most schools and colleges follow an outdated curriculum which is hardly related to contemporary events. For example in Engineering, many colleges still teach courses which may no longer be relevant or required in todays workplace. A complete overhaul needs to be done. Latest equipment and other facilities should be procured, so that Indian students can do research in India itself, rather than leaving the country never to return.

4) Rote Learning: This archaic age old idiotic practice should be banned. I find it hard to believe that this is still practiced widely almost everywhere in India, starting from schools to colleges to even PhD. Most students are encouraged to just memorize whatever is written in the textbooks and vomit it during exams, for the sole purpose of getting good marks and beating the fellow student. There is very little scope for independent or creative, out-of-the-box thinking. Neither teachers nor parents are interested to encourage the child to try out something different or to pursue his/her passion. All they can think about is to force the child to become an Engineer, Doctor, etc so that he can get a job[which he will almost surely hate]. This mentality of avoiding risk, especially in middle class is also a cause for the downfall of creativity. People still rely on books for all of their knowledge, and hardly any importance is given to vocational training and practical implementation of ideas. Thus we should focus on a more industry oriented curriculum and one which encourages lateral thinking.

5) Killing of Passion: In India, there is market for only a few traditional streams: Engineering, Medicine, MBA, etc. It is comparatively easier for a student to get a job under these traditional streams, than to get a job after doing say, Philosophy or Geology, etc. Hence most parents force their children to sacrifice their passion or interest and to get into a stream which will ensure that they get a job. And considering that there are more than 700 million poor in India who do not even get food to eat every day, getting a job may mean everything for an average Indian student. This has resulted in one of the biggest catastrophes, according to me, in the Indian education system. Instead of getting decent painters, singers, dancers, sportsmen, athletes, chefs, psychologists, astronomers, biotechnologists, botanists, photographers, or even bird watchers, we get instead a million useless engineers produced each year, most of them unemployable and almost all of them frustrated with their lives. We need proper career counseling not only for students but also for parents. Parents are inadvertently spoiling the careers of their children, and not helping them.

These are some of the remedy measures that can be taken. More on the education system in future posts.

Heroes!

2011-05-30T13:34:00.006+05:30

This post is dedicated to those Fictional Heroes who have always inspired me with their good deeds. Am listing down Five of my most favorite heroes[all either from anime or cartoons] here, and a brief account of each.

1) Name- Son Goku

Anime- DragonballZ

Link: Goku

Note: Goku is a Saiyan from the planet Vegeta. He was sent to Earth so as to dominate it and eliminate all Mankind. Instead he got a bump on his head when he was a child and his programming got reversed- To protect the Earth at all costs. What I like about Goku is his simplicity and persistence. He never gives up no matter who the opponent is[He did surrender against Cell but that was because he knew his son could beat him]. He loves enjoying time with his friends and family, and does his best to protect them at all costs from all Evil that lurks in the Universe. Goku is known to push beyond his limits. He was the first person to reach Super Saiyan and also Super Saiyan 3 and 4. He may not be very intelligent or bright but he always knows a way out. Goku has always been one of my favorite heroes since childhood and his sense of humour is amazing too.

Signature Moves- Kamehameha, Spirit Bomb, Instant Transmission, Dragon Fist.

Quote-‘I won’t let you get away with this.’ Just before he transforms into a Super Saiyan.

2) Name- Superman/Clark Kent/Kal El

Cartoon- Superman the Animated Series, Justice League, etc.

Movies- Many, including the last- Superman Returns.

Link: Superman

Note: Superman needs no introduction. For Truth, Justice Forever. He is the person who stands in the light and protects the innocent. Superman has always stood as the symbol of hope and justice worldwide. He is the Ultimate Man of Tomorrow, the person who will do anything for World Peace. Moreover although he has great powers, he chooses never to Kill his enemies, no matter how evil they may be. He is also one of the co-founders of the Justice League. Superman also believes in Sacrifices, and has done whatever he could to protect the Earth and the Universe from evil forces. Superman is one of the biggest idols for all children.

Signature Moves- Heat Vision, X-Ray Vision, Super Punch.

Quote-‘I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.’ To Black Adam.

3) Name- Kuchiki Byakuya, Captain of the Sixth Division in Soul Society.

Anime- Bleach

Link: Byakuya

Note: Byakuya has been one of my favorite anime characters of all times. His cool and calm demeanor makes him an instant hit amongst all anime lovers. He never worries about any situation and takes his decisions rationally. Even when he is facing the toughest of opponents, he maintains his calm and emotionless attitude. He is not afraid to take extreme decisions, like cutting off the nerves of his arm and leg in battle. And he takes a big pride in his work and status. But inside from heart, he is also a caring individual. He just doesn’t show his emotional side. For him Honour and Commitment to ones job/duty matters a lot.

Signature Moves- Bankai- Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, Bakudo no 61: Six Prison Rods of Light.

Quote-‘ Sovereignty means absolutely nothing against me.’ To the Seventh Espada before releasing his Bankai.

4) Name- Cyclops/ Scott Summers

Cartoon- X-Men

Movies- Xmen, X2, X3, Xmen: Origin

Link: Cyclops

Note: Cyclops is the leader of the X-men, a person typically portrayed as a true and committed leader. He cares a lot about his team, and is always ready to do the right thing. Apart from this, he is also a tactful and adroit person who can create instant strategies to counter his opponents. He knows how to take advantage of his opponents weakness. And he is also a firm believer in team work. He has one major power- Optic Blasts from his eyes. But with his mind and spirit, he is capable of doing lots.

Signature Move- Optic Blasts.

Quote-‘ The old saying, "Red skies in morning, traveler take warning," doesn't mean much when all of your mornings are red. ‘

5) Name- Uchiha Itachi

Anime- Naruto/Naruto Shippuden

Link: Itachi

Note: Arguably one of the best anime characters ever made, Itachi is the epitome of sacrifice. He sacrificed everything, starting from his home, his parents, his friends, his relatives, etc just to prevent a major war. He was forced to leave his village and was branded as a traitor and an assassin. But all this while, he was following orders given to him by the village elders. However he could not bring himself to kill his younger brother, Sasuke. Instead he fought a major battle with him and then transferred all his powers to him, dying shortly after. In a way, Itachi fought for the principles he believed in. But he was always trying to protect the village and do what was best for the larger good.
Signature Moves- Tsukiyomi, Amaterasu, Susano

Quote-‘ Foolish Little brother. If you wish to kill me, hate me, detest me. And yet survive in an unsightly way. Run, run and cling to life.’ To Sasuke.

Back with Updates

2011-05-27T11:59:00.001+05:30

All right, I am back with a new post after a while. It has almost been a month. Quite a few things have happened and I would like to share them with you all here.

1) I have finally become an Engineer[almost]. My last exam ended yesterday and now just the results are left.

2) Yesterday was my last official day at college. Yes it has ended. And I am more happy than anyone else.

3) Major Incident: Last week a terrible storm occurred. As a result lots of trees were uprooted, and quite a few happened to fall on the electricity carrying wires. There was a total breakdown in power supply. As a result we had to stay for three days without electricity. And whats worse, my final exams were on too. It was an extremely harrowing experience to say the least. But now after things have been sorted out, I wonder- Just three days made me feel so frustrated. But what about the plight of those 700 million Indians who live without electricity each day?

4) I bid farewell to few of my college friends, notably Sourav Dey and Kuntal Chowdhary. These two guys helped me survive my Hell days in college.

5) I have a load of games piled up, with just under one month to complete them. The list includes but is not limited to- Crysis 2, Mafia 2, Witcher 2, Metal Gear Solid 3, Final Fantasy 12, Fable 3, Fallout New Vegas, etc.

6) Tons of books to read as well. I recently completed the Girl who Played with Fire, and The World is Flat. Next up is Ambani and Sons, followed by couple of books written by Amartya Sen, and a few fiction novels.

7) Have to prepare for the things to be taken to Delhi, where I shall be spending the major part of my next 2 years. I shall be pursuing an MBA from FMS, which is under Delhi University.

8) I shall have to purchase a laptop soon. And as for the moment, am totally confused. Will buy a Dell or Sony Vaio most likely.

9) Finally, am waiting for some of my best friends to return home so that I can meet up with everyone before I leave home.

10) And I have to send an email to a very important person. :)

This is it from me. More later.

Look before you Leap

2011-04-29T13:31:00.002+05:30

I am sure that quite a few of you may have had some unpleasant experience while doing online shopping. Let me share my own.

This incident is related to a very popular ecommerce website. After hearing a lot of positive responses from my friends, I decided to make a purchase myself. Normally I avoid shopping on internet as I feel uncomfortable doing so. However in this case, I was attracted by a decent offer, that is on a particular game[for the PS2] which I had always desired.

So I placed an order for it. It was mentioned that I would receive the product in 5 business days. I waited for a week, becoming a little impatient before I finally received an unexpected email. In the mail it was mentioned that my order had been cancelled as they could not find that game anywhere. To say I was shocked after reading this would be an understatement. I sent them an email asking for an explanation. They replied that they do not keep any stock with themselves in the office, and after an order is placed they go and purchase it from their vendors. However in my case, none of the vendors had the item. To which I asked- Why didnt you put an Out of Stock message in that case? I got this reply-'When you placed the order, we had the product. But when we went to the vendor to get it, it went out of stock.'

I found that a laughable excuse for a company as reputed as theirs. Is there no record maintained for the availability of the product? In any case my amount was refunded. There was nothing to be done either.

Some time later, I decided to place an order for the same item again[I admit it, I am a desperate gamer]. This time the message was-'Item in stock. Delivered in 3 business days.' This time I got the item within 4 days itself[thanks largely to the highly efficient Bluedart courier service- It also replied to my email in 10 minutes]. I was overjoyed on getting the item at last. Finally after so many turn-arounds I could play my game in peace. But- yes you guessed right, my joy was shortlived. On opening the packet, I was shocked to see a different game than the one I had ordered. Let me explain with an analogy- 'Suppose I had ordered FIFA 2011. They sent me FIFA 2007 instead.'

It may have been a genuine mistake. Or it is also possible that they never had the actual game in the first place, and sent me that older game which I did not want. But the bottomline is- Why on earth did they make such a blunder? This was completely unexpected from a service as reputed as theirs. I guess the moral of the story is that even Big companies make Big mistakes.

I mailed them about the incident. My tone clearly displayed my disappointment. They have replied saying that they are sorry for the inconvenience. And I am waiting to see what happens next. Will they replace the item, or refund my money or do neither?

Next time you order something online be careful. Things may not go as planned. The advantage of purchasing an item from an actual shop is that you know what you are going to get. Thats all I have to say. If you have any interesting experience of your own, do post it here, or give me the link of the same.

So you want to be an Entrepreneur?

2011-04-15T14:00:00.005+05:30

For the past few months, I have read lots of interview experiences[mostly MBA] and have conversed with several people. In many cases, people say that they want to work in a company for 4-5 years, get some corporate experience, save some money, and then start a business of their own: That is become an Entrepreneur.

Now if 2 or 3 people were to tell me this, I could have believed them. But when almost every Tom, Dick and Harry begins to say this, I have no option but to be skeptical. Nowadays it has become a fad to say that someone wants to be an entrepreneur. Not withstanding the fact that he or she may not know the heads or tails of entrepreneurship. Out of 10 MBA aspirants, 6 or 7 will say that they want to be an entrepreneur so that is why they are doing an MBA. Interviewers have become so frustrated after hearing such clichéd answers that they automatically assume that when a person says he wants to be an entrepreneur, he is obviously lying.

Here are a few reasons as to why so many people say that they want to be an entrepreneur, especially with respect to contemporary Indian scenario.

1) The Cool Factor: People think its a cool and fashionable thing to be an entrepreneur. They also believe that they can become famous easily, and launch a mind blowingly innovative product or franchise, and go global within a few months, and become world renowned. Nowadays entrepreneurs have replaced film stars as role models for many.

2) The Money: Somehow, many young people have this impression that becoming an entrepreneur will help you in making some quick bucks. That they will become a millionaire instantly as they feel that they have some unique idea or business plan. They forget the amount of hard work and patience it needs for an entrepreneur to gain success. On an average it may take 8-10 years for an entrepreneur to get fully established. Moreover, 9 out of 10 entrepreneurial ventures end up as failures. Somehow most people ignore their fact and believe that becoming an entrepreneur is in their genes.

3) No Boss, Please: Everybody wants to be his or her own boss. Most people detest the idea of a megalomaniac boss running after them 24 x 7, barking orders on the top of his voice. They feel that by becoming an entrepreneur, they have automatically become the CEO and are hence answerable to nobody but themselves. They feel that they can work whenever they want to, and can relax and take holidays whenever they want, as the business is their own. This is obviously a very false notion and can lead to disaster if the person indeed tries to launch his own venture.

There are several other factors too, but am not mentioning them. The truth is that NOT everyone can become an Entrepreneur. You need to have certain skill sets if you do want to be a successful entrepreneur, risk taking and social skills included. For details you can read a good book-'The High Performance Entrepreneur' written by Subroto Bagchi.

The worst thing you can do is to jump into entrepreneurship without evaluating the pros and cons of it. Remember just having one brilliant business idea does not mean that you can be a great entrepreneur. You need to have the ability to execute it and lead it to a chain of ideas which can develop into a sustainable business over a period of time.

MBA Exam Preparation Tips

2011-04-06T15:24:00.003+05:30

Finally, the post which I have meant to write for quite some time. Over the last few months, many people have asked me questions related to MBA exams preparation. What to do and what not to do, tips, how to prepare for GDPI, etc. So I have decided to write on How I actually prepared. I will be writing two posts, the first one[ie this post] will deal with the written exams, and the second one for GDPI preparation. But before I start, here is a very important NOTE:

This is purely my personal experience and the methodology I followed in my preparation. If you do the same, it will NOT guarantee that you too will manage to get into a top Bschool. I am not claiming that if you follow the steps, you will surely succeed. What suits me may not suit you and vice versa. So instead of blindly following what someone else tells you, it would be best to create an original strategy that complements you. I am writing this post in the hope that it will be helpful to candidates appearing for such exams in the future. Do not consider my post as a Holy Grail or something which must be followed strictly. Make your own decisions. But yes, more than any coaching institute material, mocks, books, the three things which you surely need are:

i) Self Confidence

ii) Hard Work- Persistence

iii) Never Say Die Attitude

With these few words, I begin:

Written Tests:

For convenience, I have made this post into a Question-Answer format.

Q) 1) What do MBA entrance exams test us on?

Ans)

Most MBA entrance exams will test you on these parameters:

i) Quantitative Ability

ii) Verbal Ability

iii) Logical Ability

You can get the detailed syllabus in any coaching institute material. Different exams have different time limits. You can get more information online, and also at Pagalguy.com

Q) 2) When should one start preparing for MBA?

Ans) The first question which most people ask is What is the Ideal time to start preparation. I would say it would be better to Ask yourself Why MBA first and then decide how to prepare. If you are planning to do MBA without a valid reason, suit yourself. But do remember that it may come back to haunt you later in your life. Now to my first question. There is no ideal time to begin preparation. But generally, 6-8 months before CAT is enough. Am considering CAT as the default exam for obvious reasons.
Personally I started preparing after class 12th exams were over. But I repeat, you do NOT need to study for 3 years or more in order to crack CAT/other exams. Enjoy your college life and do not neglect studies. Plus it is always better to get some work experience before joining a Bschool.

Q)3) Which Coaching Institute to Take?

Ans) Whichever one you want. It hardly makes any difference. Personally I feel that coaching institutes are way too over-hyped with every institute claiming 100% success rate. Don’t be fooled by such ads alone, do a proper analysis before joining an institute. I made the grave mistake of joining an institute in my 3rd year of college and I regretted it. Best would be just to take up a test series and take mock tests. That’s it. If you have it in you, you can definitely make it into any top bschool, coaching or no coaching.

Q)4) How many Mock Test should one take?

Ans) I believe 10-12 mocks over a period of 5 months are more than enough. But make sure that you peak at the right time, ie when your CAT exam arrives. I personally took 12 mocks, that too of just one series[IMS]. My percentiles ranged from 89-97. Mostly in the 92-94 range. The mocks provided good practice. And analysis of mocks is crucial.

Things to AVOID:

i) Solving too many mocks, especially in a short span of time: This will just decrease your efficiency and increase your frustration.

ii) Joining too many test series, thinking you will get the best of all: Totally unwanted and useless thing to do. Most mock tests are similar to a great extent.

iii) Getting depressed after one poor performance: I got 83 and 84 percentile in my last 2 mocks. Yet I ended up with a percentile of 96.54. So nothing to get disappointed about mock scores. They are just for practice and analysis.

The most negative point about mocks is that most of them have a high standard of difficulty. Many people get frustrated after solving such problems. But in actual CAT, the problems will be logical based and you will hardly need to remember any formula or complicated step in order to solve them. I personally feel that solving extremely hard problems is a total waste of time. And I know one person who did not TAKE a SINGLE mock the entire season, was working, yet scored 99.7 percentile in CAT and 99.8 percentile in XAT. So it is quite possible to do well without bothering about your mock scores. I got fed up of mocks after I took ten of them.

Q)5) How do I prepare for Quant, Verbal, DI, LR, RC? Which books to follow?

Ans) One of the most common questions asked by many candidates. Here is a short guide:

i) Quant: Arun Sharma books are okay for beginners. You can solve the problems especially if you have forgotten your basics. Else you can take any coaching institute material and revise the basic concepts. Some topics such as Number System, Geometry, P & C, Time and Distance, etc are generally considered more important than others. Solving past papers of CAT, XAT, etc, may also help. Remember that you do not need to be a master of Mathematics in order to score well in this section. But make sure your accuracy is good. Do not do blind guesses. I am personally weak in Quant, so I cannot offer you much advice here, but do remember that with a bit of logic and common sense you can solve most problems.

ii) Verbal: GRE books are good, especially for vocabulary. Barrons guide may be useful for beginners. I personally liked Norman Lewis too. Do revise basic grammar from Wren and Martin or other books. CAT problems are usually typical in the sense that they are tricky, and the options are quite close to one another.
Apart from this, start reading extensively. Books, magazines and newspapers. The Hindu, TOI, ET, Frontline, India Today, etc. Try reading some non-fiction books, especially on management or business. This will not only improve your vocabulary, but will prove quite useful in tackling the Reading Comprehension section. Try to improve your reading speed and comprehending ability.

Remember: Reading books randomly wont help. If you do not like something do not force yourself to read it. For example there is no point starting with Ayn Rand if you are not interested in philosophy, just because your coaching institute teacher told you to. Finally solve previous year papers.

iii) Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning: This section just requires practice and common sense. But make sure that you have both speed and accuracy. Try to do calculations as fast as you can. Avoid using calculators at all costs. Make sure that you avoid passages which may consume too much time. Just by a cursory glance you should be able to decide which are the passages/caselets that you are going to attempt. Most important is not to get stuck on any problem. Practice from mock tests or previous year papers. Arun Sharma has mostly quite simple problems.

Rest will be continued in future posts. Feel free to ask any queries if you have. Thank you.

The Holi Gift

2011-03-19T21:53:00.004+05:30

All right, I have been quite busy in the past one month or so, and did not get much time to write blog posts. Reason being I had multiple MBA interviews all over the country. I visited Mumbai, Kanpur, Kharagpur for the first time in my life, and my visit ended with a Delhi trip. While returning home, I got a call in the evening. It was Appurv[one of my friends and a Puy], who informed me that I had been selected in IIFT. That was a great feeling. I called up a few friends and told them the same.
I was satisfied and happy with my performance[IIFT GDPI] and was expecting a convert. I managed to get into the Delhi campus in the first list itself. But a bigger surprise was about to come. I had my FMS interview on 16th march.

[You can check it out on PG here ]

And here is the link for my IIFT GDPI experience:

I personally feel that I did well in both interviews. Especially in FMS, as I wasn’t asked your normal questions. I returned home on 18th morning, and decided to meet up with 2 of my best friends. We visited the Crossword bookstore which has recently opened in Durgapur. I bought 2 books and became a life time member. Awesome place for bookworms like me to chill out. Then I visited my friends place. Got an Sms from Anand saying that I had converted FMS. Its hard to describe how I felt after that. But it was definitely a great feeling. Especially when you are with your best friends. Called up Mom and told her the news. She didn’t believe that the result could come out so soon. Also saw that a few other people whom I know made it[Abhirup, Divya, Shashank, Abhishek, etc]. Now I shall have to go to Delhi soon to pay the fees. Session will probably start in July.

I would like to thank each and every one of you[including YOU the person who is currently reading this post] for supporting me in every way possible. If it weren’t for your backup I would have never made it so far. I hope I will have a great time at FMS and I wish each and every one of you all the best in your own ventures.
Finally I would like to take this opportunity to thank some people[apart from my parents, relatives and few close friends] who were really helpful. This list is in no particular order.

Puys:

Shashank The Doc Mod, Shruti ji, Neha Seth, Avneet-ji, Mayank, Rohit Awasthi, Pallavi Puri, Rito Da, Anand J, Siddarth, Dhiresh, Ashish, Appurv, Neha Chavan, Sakshi, Namita, Varnika, Varun Saxena, Anwesa, Akanksha, Bharadwaj, Rishabh, SKR, Subhankar, Krutika, Manjushaa, Priti, Arshdeep, Pallavi Kesarwani, Shruti Srivastava, Pooja Roy, Vikram, Shirsho, Lopa Mudra, Raghav, Avinav, Hari, Naga, Caartey, Gagan, Nishant, Pritesh, Ranjeet Pratap Singh, Tanveer Sir, Prem Sir, Keerthi, Adi, Abhishek Bhatia, Prerna and others.

College Friends:

Sourav Dey, Susant, Tripti, Vivek, Rittika, Satwati, Atreyee, Kuntal, Subhojit, Saptak, Ramit, Dhiraj, Arindam, Madhumita, Swati, Kunti, Binita, Lovelin, Supratik, Surajit, Manu, Amit, Ansuman, Debashis, Abhro, Arijita, Monodeep, Priyank, Pulkit, Rohit, Supriyo, Sukant, Sumit, Sangeeta, Swami Anand Prem, Shukla, Shreshta, Shashi, Satnam, Abhishek Adhikary, Sucharita, Sumit, Arijit, Aurko, Anirban Nandy, Saroj, Soumya, Soumen, Aniket, Samrat, and many more.

Others:
Sushmit, Jayanta, Sumit Pramanik, Saurabh Audichya, Praadnya, Ankita, Swapnil, and all my Facebook friends.

With this, my MBA season officially comes to an end. I am now a member of FMS[2011-2013 batch], and Delhi University. I am quite satisfied with my performance, even though I did not get a single IIM call.

Let my convert be a proof that even freshers with average acads[85 and 79 %] and an average profile can make it to the top Bschools. All the best to all of you.

Looking forward to meeting my fellow Batchmates and seniors at FMS. This is Satwinder, signing off. Good night and Happy Holi.

Corporal Punishment- The True Bane!

2011-03-10T15:19:00.004+05:30

This is a sensitive topic no doubt. Corporal punishment was banned in India a few years ago. Yet the ban remains more on paper and is scarcely enforced. Teachers beat their students every day, and punishment is not just restricted to slaps or hits. In many cases students are whipped by canes, hit on the head with a duster, kicked, punched, knocked down, and what not. Something which even a policeman dare not do to a criminal.

I have personally seen teachers pound students as if they were in a wrestling match. That too in primary school. I personally find such kind of behavior unpardonable and inexcusable. Its nothing short of sadism. The teachers know that[in most cases] the child cannot hit back and will not. So they take out all their frustration on the helpless kid.

We live in a hectic world. Many people get stressed out or frustrated after doing monotonous jobs and getting scolded by their seniors. They know that they cannot abuse their bosses directly. Rather they take out their frustration on helpless victims, such as children.

Another reason is short temper. People who get angry easily tend to take out their anger on children. Especially teachers or other staff members. And then there are some people who cannot control their fury, and lash out without thinking twice. It may be due to a minor reason such as whispering during class.

The consequence is that the child may get hurt not only physically but also mentally and emotionally. And emotional scars are hard to cure. It is seen that such children who were abused during childhood either commit suicide or become criminals themselves. So rather than beating up a kid for minor faults, we must learn to counsel them.

If a teacher is caught handing out corporal punishment, he/she should be rusticated and put into prison. There can be no compromise. Corporal punishment is a crime and we have to draw a line. Else the consequence can be fatal.

To give just one famous example, Rouvanjit Rawla, a 13 year old student of La Martiniere, Kolkata committed suicide after he was brutally caned in the school. The principal actually tried to justify the act, under pretext of instilling discipline. But discipline cannot be instilled by corporal punishment, or fear.

Let us join our hands and help raise awareness on Corporal Punishment[and its consequences].

The Last 4 Years

2011-02-27T15:38:00.002+05:30

*Note- This is a Personal Post and if you are not interested in reading about my personal life, kindly skip it.

Some of you [Especially if you know me personally] may have wondered that I have rarely written anything about my college life. In fact almost nothing. Maybe you were a bit puzzled as to why be that so? After all, college life is supposed to be the most enjoyable, fun period of one’s life. It’s the time when a teenager blossoms into an adult. It’s a time when students get to become independent, learn to party, start preparing for job interviews, make their career paths, get into good[or bad] company, make multiple friends, in short enjoy their most productive years. College life is something which no person forgets. Many[or most] people consider it as the best time of their life. People currently bogged down with their hectic work schedule recollect their college days with nostalgia. Unfortunately all the above characteristics do not apply to me.

If you ask me to describe my college life in one word, I would say-‘Pathetic’. I did not enjoy anything for one moment, hardly made any friends, hardly did anything productive, faced betrayals, threats, abuses, detested the classes like anything, hardly did anything of use in practical classes, and even the extra-curriculars weren’t up to the mark. Now first of all let me state that I do not hold ANYBODY responsible for my situation. If I have to blame anyone for it, it would be myself alone. Though I have had serious arguments with some people here, I do not believe in holding grudges against anyone. You may think that I am being too pessimistic, that everyone faces his/her shares of ups and downs in college, that we have to witness both good times and bad times. It’s just that I feel that I experienced the bad times 9 out of 10 times.

Often when I tell others[people who are not in my college] about how I feel, most of them reply in the same way-‘You will feel like this now, but once you leave the college you will start missing it.’ I can assure you that I will not feel that way. In fact, it’s just the opposite. I am in fact desperate to get out of my college and finally start enjoying my life. I almost feel as if I am carrying out a prison sentence of 4 years. Maybe one of the reasons for my sorrow is the fact that I did not stay in a hostel. Hence I did not get to mix around with people much. I made just a handful of real friends, and I felt that most people here are just too casual to take anything[including studies] seriously. In short, I disliked the environment here from the start. I felt that most of the teachers here are at best, just average, and many do not even know basic details of the subject they are supposed to teach. I will not blame them, as they are possibly paid quite less, and it is obvious that they joined the teaching profession only because they were unable to find jobs elsewhere. So its natural to say that the classes are a big bore, and I don’t think I have actually learned anything of use in the past four years.

Often I ask myself this question-‘What on earth am I doing here? Shouldn’t I be in a better college, or maybe doing some other course?’ I wish I could answer that. Maybe I made a big mistake by joining this institution. Maybe I should not even be doing Computer Science and Engineering. Who knows. I wish I could go back into the past and change the decisions I made. But that is just a losers approach. I have to take responsibility for my action and bear with the consequence. That’s the way of life.
In fact I believe that my college life is a perfect example of What a College life SHOULD NOT be. Academically, I did not learn anything, socially I could not make friends, recreation wise, I did not attend any party, or any festival with dealt with fun, environment wise, I could not adjust, as I always felt that I was incompatible here. Slowly, I shut myself off with the rest [in college]. I would pretend as if everything was okay, but hardly anyone noticed my pain. People believed I was selfish. But for me, every day was like a torture session. I was feeling suffocated, depressed, dejected. I knew I had to get out. That was the only thing which kept me going. That and my desire to get into a top Bschool, which was one of my goals.

There are many people here who do not have any ambition at all. They are satisfied the way they are. They have no desire to learn or to excel. While most of them at least desire to get jobs, some are even too lethargic for that. Its as if wasting time doing all sort of negative activities[smoking, drinking, drugs, pornography, abusing others to name a few] is the only thing that matters in college. Today I will admit that I always wanted to rise above such people, and then come out on top. What made the difference is ambition. I knew I could never be satisfied with a mere degree and an ordinary job.

My college life will end in two months. I am eager to forget, to leave everything behind, and start anew, afresh, rejuvenated. A New life, a New beginning. One which will hopefully be much better than the previous one. Even today, if someone asks me what exactly I learned or gained in my four years of college life, I have no qualms in giving a one word answer-‘Nothing’.

The Price of Ignorance!

2011-02-14T22:26:00.005+05:30

A Disco Party

Finally, its time for a serious topic. In one sentence- ‘Inequality in distribution of wealth in India’. Now first let me clarify that inequality is definitely not exclusive to India alone. For example, recently Tunisia’s president Ben Ali had to give up his post, mainly due to the protests made by the common people. Ben Ali and his family had amassed a huge amount of wealth and were living a life of opulence where the people of his country were suffering from unemployment and lack of food, etc. India also faces similar problems of high food inflation, unemployment, etc, but as not witnessed such a large scaled protest, yet.

If you are not an Indian, and are not staying in India, chances are that you may have read some article or the other- stating India’s economic progress, rapid GDP growth at a rate of 8.9%, ever rising purchasing power of the middle class, opening up of MNCs every week, with companies such as Google and Facebook, and now even Wikipedia setting up their offices in India. Some articles boast about India’s demographic dividend, suggesting that half of India’s population is under 25 years of age, and that India is a young country, whereas most developed countries are becoming Old countries. Or you may hear about the success stories of some Indian companies, especially in the I.T and BPO sector, such as Infosys.

But if you are an Indian, then I am sure you know of the inside story as well. More than 70% of the population thrives on less than Rupees 20[approximately half a dollar] a day. Unemployment is almost at 10%[and that too of the labor population]. 65% of Indian people[and that amounts to over 700 million people, almost twice that of the population of the USA] don’t even have access to toilets, forget having a concrete house or access to clean drinking water. 60% of Indians do not get proper food to eat, nor do they have a proper place to stay or live. Just 16% of India’s GDP is obtained from the agriculture sector, but ironically, over 60% of the population is dependent on it as their primary source of income. Farmers are paid awfully low amounts for selling their crops. In the slums of Mumbai, 15-20 people sleep in one room, of a dank and dark house. Millions of children die before they reach the age of 5 every year. Diseases such as malaria, typhoid, tuberculosis, dysentery, etc, regularly claim the lives of millions. Most people still do not have access to basic health facilities, primary education, voting rights, food, shelter, etc. More than one-third of the population drops out of school by class 8. India has a Human Development Index of 119[less than even Guyana or Namibia], and it is estimated that the condition of the BIMARU[Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh] states is worse than that of the poorest countries of Africa.

A Slum in India

If the situation is indeed that bad, then where is all that wealth going? It’s easy- In the hands of a selected group of people. To state simply- ‘The rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer.’ To give an example- India has more money[over 1.2 trillion dollars] in the black market than the rest of the world combined. Corruption is at a all time high. Money is pilfered like anything: be it the Coal mafia, Oil Mafia, Kerosene mafia, or even Milk mafia, nothing is spared. There is a well developed nexus between politicians, bureaucrats, police, media, businessmen, corporate-houses, and what not. The Government is ready to spend crores of rupees in building statutes of politicians but refuses to spend money in making toilets, hospitals or efficient schools.

India has become a land of contrasts. On one hand, the number of billionaires in India is rising, on the other hand- millions of people are starving to death each year. But the thing which really makes me frustrated is the Total Apathy of the Upper and Middle class towards the Lower class[and I am just as guilty as the rest]. Most of us[ie the Middle class and Upper class] pretend that the lower class does not exist. That the 700 million people simply do not live here, as our fellow countrymen. Instead we are more interested in knowing about the latest variety of imported shoes which are available in the market, or which movie is doing the rounds in the theatres. An average person from an affluent family can spend thousands of rupees during a single lunch session alone. Something which a poor person cannot afford even after working for 2 years. We are misusing wealth like anything. We want to flaunt our affluence, show-off our purchasing power potential in front of our peers and friends.

I have seen people turn their face in disgust whenever they see poor people begging or just moving down the street. Or they just casually move away, doing the Ignoring act. In extreme cases, they may even abuse or strike them down. In fact, the largest recipient group of violence and crime in India is the one including people from the extreme backward castes[also usually the poorest]. Everyone knows that they do not have the power or will to fight back. The unfortunate situation in India at present is that everyone is too busy with their personal lives, to spare time or thought for the poor. Why should we be concerned with inclusive growth as long as we are getting our own cups of cappuccino or Baskin Robbins ice-cream?

In this regard, I salute the spirit of those 1.2 million NGOs in India, which are helping to fight corruption and help the needy. I will mention the name of one-Pratham, which has been doing its best to provide education to the poor children. If only the spirit of giving was present in each one of us, we could have indeed made India a REAL developed country, and not one which just remains on paper. However, I am optimistic and I do hope that people will continue to give back in future. Otherwise the Price of Ignorance will be too much to pay.

What is Love?

2011-02-08T14:25:00.001+05:30

Abstract:

She was sitting just one row ahead of me. I could see her back clearly. She was wearing a purple top. Her hair was neatly tied back, and held by a black clip. She had one hand on the desk and the other clutched her brown leather bag. She was listening attentively to whatever the professor was saying. And I was watching attentively to whatever she was doing. I had eyes only for her and nothing else. Somewhere I could hear the voice of a koyel, and vividly the sound made by fluttering leaves as the wind blew by. But it was all distant. There were 20 other students inside the classroom, but I pretended as if they did not exist.

She was wearing a golden bracelet on her right hand, and had a silver watch on the left. Sometimes when she turned, I could catch glimpses of her face. It was pure natural beauty, with minimal make-up, just the sort of features I preferred. She was wearing short diamond ear-rings, with a subtle hole carved in them. The radiance of the ear-rings enhanced the brightness of her looks. Her looks displayed confidence, intelligence, and maturity. She had a spark in her, a glow which I could feel but could not describe. I had talked with her yesterday for the first time. At first I was hesitant, but I soon discovered that she was amiable and honest. She asked me about me background, my interests, my career plans. I inquired about hers. She smiled. I looked, but could not speak. My tongue would not move.

Today, she had wished me Good Morning as she entered the classroom. I mumbled something in reciprocation, but I could feel my face turning red. I lowered my gaze, unable to do anything more. 1 hour had passed since that moment. Yet I could not take my eyes off her. She removed her hair-clip, tied the hair back again[though it was quite un-necessary] and put the clip back on. I followed every hand movement of hers. Her eyes illustrated curiosity, interest, passion. But they also hinted at loneliness. Her hair basked under the sunlight, reflecting it straight at my eyes, forcing me to blink. I felt as if she needed company. Maybe the guy sitting next to her felt the same, as he touched her arm and made a funny comment[I am guessing it was funny, even though I could not hear it, as she started laughing after hearing it]. I felt a sudden twinge of jealousy. But for what? I didn’t even know her well enough.

It was evening. All the classes had ended. She was walking towards the exit. This was it. Do or die. I almost ran in order to keep up with her. I hope she did not notice that I was almost out of breath. She smiled again, and I started examining her face once more. Was I being rude? I did not know. ‘Well then, bye. Will catch up with you again later,’ she said and smiled at me.

‘I do not know if we will ever meet again but yes all the best for the future.’
She stared, apparently a bit surprised at my sudden comment. I turned and started walking. I did not look back.

I was in love.

Note: The above short story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is purely co-incidental and entirely un-intentional.

Its Her Fault. She was wearing Indecent Clothes!

2011-02-04T14:36:00.013+05:30

I was reading this article on yahoo,check Here , and the comments which followed it. Apparently a Principal of a college asked a girl to pull down the zipper of her pullover to show her T-shirt. That was ostensibly done to check if the girl was wearing an indecent dress or not, and whether she deserved punishment for it. Many people supported the action of the principal, saying that girls should not wear provocative dresses to college, as it is responsible for corrupting the society, and that it instigates men to carry out nefarious tasks[read- Sexual assault].

Okay, my point is, no matter what kind of clothes a girl wears, what right do you[any male] have to tell her to unzip her pullover[or any other dress] and show you what lies underneath, etc. If majority of the people are offended by someones clothing, then he/she should be told explicitly that a dressing code needs to be followed, irrespective of the gender of the person. Why single out girls alone?

We live in a Male-dominated society, there is no doubt about that. Men are supposed to dictate the rules, and women are supposed to follow them with unquestionable obedience. If such a thing does not happen, the man gets angered, and with an injured ego, does his level best to take revenge[ Read- Honour Killing, Rape, Molestation(especially when his advances are spurned), Kidnapping, Murder, Domestic Violence- say on refusal to give dowry, Other Crimes, etc]. If a girl gets raped, its her fault for wearing provocative dresses and wandering alone at night. If a girl gets molested or beaten up, its her fault for not responding to the advances made by hoodlums. If a girl marries someone against the wishes of her relatives, she is ostracized and treated as an outcast, as a disgrace on the family. If a girl[or her family] is unable to provide sufficient amount of dowry, she is subjected to domestic violence. And the in-laws justify it by saying-'Un logo ne hamari Demand poori nahi ki'

In todays world, the situation has improved somewhat. Women are becoming independent, leading teams, becoming managers in famous organizations, etc. However crime against women has not subsidized. Sexual harassment cases[in workplaces] are on the rise. Most men still cannot accept women as their equal. They want to dominate over them and make them do what they wish.

People try to justify their horrendous act[say molestation or sexual assault] by saying that the girl wasnt dressed appropriately. This is ridiculous. No matter what kind of dress a girl wears, who on earth has given you the license to go and exploit a woman? Its almost as if wearing such clothes unleashes such an irresistible lecherous urge in men, coupled with lust, that they cannot stop themselves. Its true that Indian society is still mostly conservative in the sense that people tend to feel uncomfortable if they see girls wearing a skimpy outfit, or tight-fitting clothes, etc. But you have the choice of not looking at them, going away from the place if you wish. Or if its a public gathering, and you and your are feeling extremely uncomfortable, just go and tell them what you feel. But theres absolutely no excuse for molesting or mistreating women on account of their clothing.

With advent of westernization, Indian people are doing their best when it comes to imitation. Women walking in bikinis may be an ordinary sight in America or Brazil, but may flabbergast Indian people[especially middle aged or above]. Moreover, Indian men are known to be lewd, they love staring at women and passing comments, whistling, etc. Most people act as if that is normal. 'Arrey, jawan ladka hai. Abhi hi to umar hai yeh sab karne ki,' is a common reply. Aur jab woh jawan ladka koi kharab harkat kare, then its all the fault of girls who are asking for trouble by trying to be independent. 'Usko ghar se bahar jaane ko kisni kaha tha? She deserved it.' Such outdated mentality has no place in the current civilized society.

In ancient Greece and Rome, rape was legal. And the woman who got raped was considered to be a criminal and punished. Sometimes even burnt to death. In present day India, most rape victims are considered as a black spot in society, and are further harassed by the police, if they are bold enough to file a report. Most cases are never reported, and if they are, the criminal manages to escape by paying a paltry fine. In rare cases do criminals serve out an entire rape sentence[that too of a mere 7 years]. There have been instances of criminals raping the same woman again after getting out of prison. Where are we headed? If we have such a defunct law, how can we think of handling justice? Most rapes occur because the rapist is confident that he can get away with it.

If you see a woman in a skimpy outfit[or any outfit for that matter], and you cannot control your impulses, and you assault her, then you are a certified criminal. There can be no excuse for your immoral behavior. Let women wear whatever they are comfortable in. It is you[read-man] who needs to control your emotions. For a second think the reverse. Assume that a man is walking topless in the street. Do you expect every girl to jump and pounce on him? Even if they did, would you say that it is the fault of the man for not wearing proper clothes? So why should you blame a girl for what she wears[or does not wear]? When a girl says No, she MEANS NO. Do not take that NO for a Yes, that she is inviting you to violate her. True, the society is heavily tilted in favor of males. But that does not mean we should not opt for equality.

If you think that I am exaggerating too much, then feel free to read this News-18 Year Old Girl burned to death for defying rape.. Maybe then your viewpoint will change.

We men[that includes me] should learn to give women the respect they deserve. We should learn to appreciate the work they do, the decisions they make. For a developing and progressing country, we need to shed our archaic outlook, and move ahead. For a better India and a better world. Lets join our hands together in Fighting Crimes against Women.

MBA Progress Report

2011-01-27T13:12:00.002+05:30

All right, here I will write a brief personal post about my performance in season 2010: MBA entrance exams. Followed by a short review and whats next.

1) CAT: 96.54 Percentile
Division:
QA: 88.39
DI: 93.80
VA: 94.60
Calls: None, till now.
Expected Calls: IMT Ghaziabad, IMI Delhi.
Borderline Case: MDI Gurgaon, SPJIMR Mumbai.

2) XAT:
84.18 Percentile.
QA: 72.xx
AR: 87.xx
VA: 71.xx
Calls: None
Expected Calls: None

3) FMS:
Score: Not Yet Declared, expected in range of 440-460.
Percentile: Not yet declared, but possibly 98.5+
Got a GDPI call.

4) IIFT:
Score: 39.15 [Cut-off was 35.74 for General Category]
Got a GDPI call.

5) JMET:
All India Rank: 743.
Score: 83.75
Calls Till Now: None
Expected Calls: IIT Kharagpur, IIT Kanpur, IIT Madras.

6) NMAT:
Score: 224 out of 360.
Percentile: Yet to be Declared
Call Expected[but not confirmed].

Review:

So Basically I did well in two exams, ie FMS and IIFT, and got GDPI calls from both. I did average in CAT, JMET and NMAT, and will still get some calls from them. And needless to say, I did poorly in XAT, and will not get any calls from it. So overall, I should have around 7-8 calls, and hopefully I will convert at least a few. My IIFT GDPI will take place next place itself, as I get ready for it. The others will take place later, possibly in March. As I do not have a job, it is imperative for me to convert as many calls as I can this time itself. My prime target is FMS of course, that’s the best amongst the lot. And coming a close second is IIFT. And I am not really interested in doing an MBA from an IIT, but lets see what the future has in store for us.

Personally, I am quite disappointed with my CAT and XAT result. I expected 98+ percentile in CAT[which could have fetched me MDI and NITIE calls]. And I better not talk about XAT for now, I know people who didn’t prepare a bit and managed to get 98+ percentile in XAT. Heck, there are some guys who didn’t even apply to XLRI and still got more than 95 percentile. Have lost the respect I had for XLRI after seeing its erratic criteria of giving calls. [People with 93 percentile have got calls and guys with 99.9 percentile don’t]. Moreover the paper was exceptionally tough[having questions of IITJEE standard], and to make matters worse, it had differential marking. So if someone guessed and got a 5 mark question correct, its quite possible that his percentile will shoot upto 98[say]. In the eventuality that I will repeat next year, I will surely not be taking XAT come what may.

So, to end, the bottomline is that I have to concentrate on IIFT and FMS for now, and do my best to convert both of them.

All the best for GDPI[to all aspirants]. With this, I am signing off for now.

Thus ends the Written Stage of MBA Season 2010. Am I satisfied? Mostly yes. Now lets see how the GDPI Stage turns out to be.

P.S.- I will not be appearing for MH-CET.

Career Counselling? WTH!

2011-01-17T15:22:00.002+05:30

I believe that one of the biggest problems that the Indian youth face nowadays is regarding choice of career. Most do not take a decision for themselves, and let their parents/relatives decide. Which can turn out to be disastrous since nobody knows you better than yourself. I have heard many of my friends say the same thing over and over again-‘Yaar, I don’t know what I want to do in life. I am not sure which career to opt for, or what to do in future. I am not satisfied with my current situation/my job/my life/etc.’ Many of them opt for safe courses- Engineering, Medical, Management, etc which can guarantee them jobs. But what after that? If you get into a job which doesn’t suit your aptitude, then you will struggle throughout your life.

Anyways, I recently read ‘Serious Men’, written by a journalist, Manu Joseph, who is also the editor of the Open magazine. It’s a fantastic novel, dealing with current day Mumbai, Science, Astronomy, Love, Sarcasm, Reservation, Education, Poverty, etc. Highly recommended novel, and a well deserving winner of the Hindu 2010 Literary award. I am quoting an entire page from the same[Verbatim]:

This, Ayyan accepted, was life. It was, in a way, a fortunate life. It would go on and on like this. And one day, very soon in fact, Adi would be an adolescent. An adolescent son of a clerk. A miserable thing to be in this country. He would have to forget all his dreams and tell himself that what he wanted to do was engineering. It’s the only hope, everyone would tell him. Engineering, Adi would realize, is every mother’s advice to her son, a father’s irrevocable decision, a boy’s first foreboding of life. A certainty, like death, that was long decided in the cradle. Sooner or later, he would have to call it his ambition. And to attain it, he would compete with thousands and thousands of boys like him in the only human activity for which Indians had a special talent. Objective-type entrance exams. Very few tests in the world would be tougher than these. So, in the enchanting years of early youth, when the mind is wild, and the limbs are strong, he would not run free by the sea or try to squeeze the growing breasts of wary girls. Instead he would sit like an ascetic in a one-room home and master something called quantitative ability. ‘If three natural numbers are randomly selected from one to hundred then what is the probability that all three are divisible by both two and three?’

He would have to answer this probably in thirty seconds in order to stand any chance against boys who were barely seven when they were fed iron capsules and sample-question papers for this very purpose; who had attended tuitions and memorized all the formulae in the world before they had learnt how to masturbate; whose parents whispered into their ears every day of their lives the answer to the decisive question: ’What do you want to become in life?’ Adi would have to fight them for a sliver of the future that men of God reviled without conviction as the ‘material world’, exactly the place that a father wishes for his son. Adi, despite the misfortunes of poverty, would somehow have to find a way to get into an engineering college. And then ensure that he did not spend a single day of his life as an engineer. Because everyone would tell him then that the real money was in MBA.

And so, even before the engineering course was over, he would start all over again, and prepare to battle thousands and thousands of boys like him in yet more entrance exams. When he finally made it and became a zombie who had entirely forgotten what he really wanted to do with his life, the light-skinned boys in the dormitory would look at him with a sad chuckle and whisper among themselves that he was a beneficiary of a 15 per cent reservation for the Dalits. ‘Lucky bastard,’ they would say.

Okay, I agree that the above page is highly exaggerated, in fact to the extreme. Obviously not ALL boys are taking up engineering, and Indians are definitely not good in just competitive exams, to name a few. But the point to be noted is the thing in General which the author wants to say. Lack of clarity in making the biggest decision of one’s Life- Career choice. Doing engineering and MBA from a good college will almost surely fetch you a good job, and that is the only reason why people do it. Because that way, at least they can earn and sustain a living in this highly competitive global environment. Even if they have to sacrifice their dreams for it. There are many people who say that let them do engineering and MBA first, and then they will try to achieve their dreams. That is just an excuse for avoiding risks, and rarely if ever wills such people achieve their goals. At max, they can earn a comfortable living in this materialistic world.

Unfortunately, in India, the concept of career counseling is almost non-existent. 90% of Indian students take up a career/course which is not suited to their aptitude/liking. No wonder they get frustrated and depressed, many even take the extreme step of committing suicide. To avoid such incidents, I believe that schools should include mandatory career counseling say for students in standard 9th or 10th. Parents should also be counseled and told not to interfere in the personal decision of the student. It is a very big misconception that only engineers and managers can get good jobs. It’s a commonly known fact that Indians only look up to education as a means to getting a job, and not as something to gain knowledge/skills/experience/etc. It’s the lure of those attractive placements that students automatically gravitate towards IITs and IIMs. I have met very few people who wanted to study in an IIT because they had an interest in Science or Engineering. We really need more students like Rancho from 3 Idiots[played by Aamir Khan].

If only people started following their own passion for a change, it would benefit us all. But are they ready to give up the security of a high paying job and take a risk? The future will tell.

Why Blame Only the Politicians?

2011-01-10T15:23:00.003+05:30

Wish everyone a very Happy New Year to all. Hope this year brings you all new hopes, new desires, and new aspirations. If we talk about the current situation, am pretty sure that Corruption is the hot topic, and everyone has witnessed it in some form of the other.

2010 may as well be known as the Year of the Scams for India. CWG Scam, Adarsh Scam, 2-G Scam, and the list goes on and on. Most of us common people feel frustrated, angry, helpless after witnessing such venality, but how many of us have actually tried to do something about it?

We Indians are number one, when it comes to complaining and blaming others, no doubt. [I have written an entire post on our Querulous nature, you can read it here]. It is quite easy to point fingers at politicians and bureaucrats, and exclaim-‘These corrupt people have destroyed Indian economy, culture, etc and are responsible for widespread theft, hooliganism for which common people have to pay.’ But has anybody wondered how tough it is to actually contest elections, and perform the duties of a politician, or even that of a government official? I am not saying that politicians are not corrupt, many of them are. But we should avoid extreme Generalization[Such as all lawyers are liars, all bureaucrats are inefficient, and so on]. The fault is not just with the politicians, it is with each and every one of us.

I have heard many people complain- ‘The entire system of governance is corrupt.’ Now let me ask them-‘Who created the system? Did the system create us or did we create the system?’ It is the common man[or at least most of them] responsible for electing the politicians as a representative. Moreover, am pretty sure that most of us have paid bribes at some time or the other, and indulged in other nefarious activities which are considered normal and acceptable in today’s scenario. Most people are in too much of a hurry to battle corruption. They want quick solutions, and to avoid waiting, are willing to degrade to any level. And later they moan-‘That idiot stole my money.’ But who gave it to him in the first place? By law, both the bribe giver and bribe taker must be considered as criminals. By that definition, most of us are criminals. So why just blame the government? We are just as responsible for the spread of corruption as the politicians are.

The truth is that most of us have a subservient attitude. We do not have the temerity to deal with corruption. We let things remain as they are- Pleading helplessness. At max, we complain, shout, destroy public property, raise rallies, but we fail to take any concrete, positive action. We demand that politicians be punished, but at the same time we continue to give bribes for our own needs. Such sort of hypocritical behavior will lead us nowhere. If we want a corruption-free, efficient government, then all of us need to contribute. Sitting back and complaining about corruption will just not do. Let us do our bit in this battle.

Simple things matter. Avoid paying bribes at any cost. If you have not done anything wrong, there is nothing to be afraid of. Learn to be patient, it will help you in the long run. If you see a person indulging in corrupt practices, then complain to the head of the company, police, or anyone in-charge. Yes it is true that many police-men are also corrupt, but there will definitely be at least a few honest workers ready to help you. Form a group- It always helps, rather than trying to do everything on your own. Raise awareness about corruption- Many people are cheated into paying extra for things/services for which they should not. Do not pay more than the MRP mentioned. Always ask for a receipt while purchasing an item/offering donation/etc.

If you believe that tackling a bureaucracy in an honest way is impossible, then I would suggest you read the brilliant autobiography of Captain Gopinath- Simply Fly. It will tell you how this person dealt with the bureaucracy with an iron-hand: He simply refused to bribe anyone.

Let us all join hands and look forward towards a corruption-free new decade. For a better India and a better world.

10 Good Books I read in 2010

2010-12-25T15:59:00.003+05:30

Merry Christmas everyone. What an eventful year it has been. I guess the special thing about 2010 is that representatives of the 5 most powerful nations in the world have visited India. But I guess this year will also be remembered for all the Corruption Scandals. We also had a few Mega Sporting Events[ FIFA World Cup, CWG and Asian Games], and India has managed to deliver on all fronts.

As for me personally, I have got the first MBA interview call of my life, from IIFT. But that is left for another day.

Lets end this year with a Happy Post:

Am listing down the names of 10 books which I read in 2010, which really impressed me and made me sit up and think.

So here are the names of the books, the author, and the category. In no particular order:

1) India After Gandhi, By Ramachandra Guha- History/Non-Fiction. Deals with the history of India in the year range 1948-2007. Very well written. In one word- Unputdownable.

2) Simply Fly : A Deccan Story, By Captain Gopinath.- Autobiography. Deals with the life history of Captain Gopinath, founder of Deccan Airlines. A Must read for all budding entrepreneurs.

3) A Short History of Nearly Everything, by Bill Bryson- Science. Deals with, erm, everything. Basically a book which tries to explain the mystery of life and planet Earth. Deals with Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Astronomy, Mathematics, Paleontology, etc. Has interesting anecdotes on scientists. Written in a layman’s language. Easily one of the best books I have ever read, it’s an award winner[Amongst Top 25 books of the decade]. If you miss this one, you have missed a lot.

4) Serious Men, By Manu Joseph – Fiction. I have not yet finished this novel, but considering that it’s the winner of the Hindu Literary awards 2010, its definitely a must read. It’s a light novel. No complications.

5) Connect the Dots, By Rashmi Bansal- Non-Fiction. Story of 20 entrepreneurs who launched their ventures without possessing an MBA degree. Highly inspiring book.

6) Goal, By E. Goldratt- Management. One of the all time best selling Management novels, Goal is simply a must read for all aspiring managers. Written in such a way that even a school student will understand the principles behind throughput, inventory and operational expenses.

7) Buyology by Martin Lindstrom, -Marketing. This is a superb book which combines the aspect of marketing with psychological behavior of customers.

8) Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell- Non-Fiction. Great book which deals with the question- ‘Why some people are famous and most are ordinary?’

9) Why Moved My Cheese? By Spencer Johnson- Self Help. Tells us on accepting change and moving on in life. More than a million copies in print. Enough said!

10) The Google Story, by David A. Vise- Non-Fiction/Biography. Deals with the rise and rise of the one of the World’s Biggest companies- Google.

Apart from the ones I have mentioned, there are other good books too. Like Gladwells The Tipping Point, What the Dog Saw, Blink. Am currently reading The Discovery of India, by Jawarhal Nehru which is also an interesting read. Next I shall cover The Idea of Justice by Amartya Sen, and will continue with the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan, Jason Bourne series by Eric Van Lustbader, and The World is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman. Lots of reading to do.

Wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year in advance.

Life of an Average Indian Male- Part 3

2010-12-16T14:21:00.001+05:30

*Continued From Previous Post

Last we remember, Raj had joined an average I.T. company. He moved into a house as a P.G. The food sucked, and the place was awfully hot. Still, he tried to get used to the new environment. However the workplace had another nasty surprise in store for him.

Raj was unlucky enough to have a demon in disguise of a boss. From the worst day onwards he was treated like a slave, made to work incessantly for 12 hours at a stretch. Even when he finally trudged back to his apartment, he would still have some work left over for the day. The work kept on piling, and Raj was handed one assignment after the other. He scarcely had time to eat, let alone relax or entertain himself. Moreover, he did not get along well with his colleagues. Most were engineers from Tier-3 colleges who did not understand anything about the work or the project they were working on. At max, they could perform Control+C/Control+V jobs. Raj himself found it quite difficult to cope up with an I.T. environment, though at least he knew the basics. However working on a Java environment was tough for him. Still he slogged on, day in and night, without any breaks.

Raj lost track of time. His state became even more disheveled than before. 6 months passed, an year, and then two. There was no scope of any promotion and Raj hardly got an increment in his salary. Perks were few and far in between. But the worst part was the monotonous nature of the job. He had done practically the same thing every day, each week for the past 2 years. And now he was fed up. He desperately wanted a change from this hectic work routine. He couldn’t even remember when he had last gone to watch a movie or taken a day off. Plus all this work was taking a grave toll on his health. The smoking and drinking did not help either, apart from relieving his momentary tensions.

One fine day, as Raj was wondering around the aisle of his office floor, he noticed 2 of his colleagues talking in low tones. He tried to get closer without looking conspicuous. He was a bit surprised to see them solving Mathematical problems in their exercise books. That was clearly not related to the work they were supposed to be doing. It was then that the word MBA struck his ear. Raj gathered his nerves and spoke to the two guys about their current occupation. They admitted that they were preparing for MBA entrance exams during their work hours. Moreover they remarked such a practice was common throughout the country, as many I.T. professionals avoided work to prepare for MBA exams. Raj was suddenly excited. He could feel the old enthusiastic feeling of his pre-college years come back to him. This was what he needed, to rise the corporate ladder, to get a decent salary, a resplendent house, a beautiful girlfriend, maybe even the Honda City he had dreamed of. And the key to achieve his dreams was this simple degree- MBA. Why hadn’t he thought about it earlier?

Without wasting any more time, Raj enrolled for Sunday classes at a local coaching institute. He spared 2-3 hours every Sunday for the classes, and tried to revise the basics of English and Mathematics whenever he could get time. He started slacking off in his work, so that he could concentrate on his work. Mock test season started, and Raj started taking mocks, confident that he would be amongst the best students in the country. However, to his shock, he could only manage a paltry 77 percentile in his first test. Frustration grew and so did Raj’s anger. Now he started ignoring his friends, family. He had only one goal in life- MBA from a top institute. He solved as many problems he could. But try as hard as he might, he could never go above 85 percentile in mocks. ‘Forget it, I will score well in the actual CAT exam,’ Raj consoled himself.

CAT came and went. So did 5 other competitive exams for which Raj appeared. Now came the agonizing wait for the results. Finally, the D-day arrived. 89.37 percentile overall in CAT. Raj felt as if someone had shot an arrow which pierced his heart. How on earth could he have scored so low? 3 of his colleagues had scored above 98 percentile and had resigned from their jobs. Raj was mad with envy. However, he still filled up the forms of a few 2-tier Bschools, and managed to secure admission in an average Bschool, which offered decent placements[according to the prospectus]. Raj was so desperate for a profile change that he did not bother to inquire about the details of the bschool.

Finally, Raj bade his dull I.T. job goodbye. ‘Its time to go back to school,’ he smiled.

Fast forward 2 years into the future.

‘Sales and Trading? What on earth is it?,’ asked Rahul, Raj’s cousin.

‘I have no idea. But the company was paying well, so I opted for it,’ Raj replied.

‘But are you sure it’s the right choice? Will you like the job if you don’t even know what you are supposed to do?’

‘Does not matter. Whatever it is, it will be better than that damn I.T. job, am sure of it.’

Saying this Raj took up his new job.

2 months later.

‘What is all this crap? What on earth am I doing here? All this finance numbers and additional accounts data makes no sense to me at all,’ Raj moaned. ‘Corporate finance? Banking regulations? Its all nonsense to me. Is it so hard to find a job which one may like doing?’

‘But how could this happen to me? MBA was supposed to bring me riches, and unlock the gates of happiness and wealth. Everyone is running after it, so it should be a valuable degree. But I am feeling just as miserable, if not worse in this new job. Just what on earth went wrong?’

Indeed, what went wrong with Raj? Or, to generalize, what is wrong with majority of the Indian youth? How come most of them are not satisfied with their jobs/present situation, even after passing from decent Engineering and MBA colleges? We shall discuss all such pertinent issues in a future post. But now is the time to end Raj’s story. Thank you all for your patience.

Life of an Average Indian Male- Part 2

2010-12-03T15:55:00.002+05:30

*Continued From Previous Post

So Raj finally begins his much awaited college life- he longs to enter the door into freedom. Now he will be free to do what he wishes. Now he can party whole night long without any restrictions. Now he is free to experiment with smoking, drinking and sex. Now he can freely bunk classes without fear of punishment. And what about studying? That too, subjects on Instrumentation engineering? No ways!

For starters, he isn’t really sure why he is studying instrumentation engineering in the first place. He isn’t even sure why he is in an engineering college. It’s just that most of his friends have chosen engineering, and he just decided to go along with the flow. Raj doesn’t care. He’s entered college, now he is going to have fun and meet beautiful girls. He’s a bit apprehensive about ragging however. Nevertheless he shifts into the hostel and eagerly waits for the first day to begin.

First day in college- Raj finds out where his classes are held and begins the day on a good note. Some of his school friends are in the same class with him. But there comes the first shock- In a class of 60 students, there are just 5 females. That too, none of them were worth giving a second glance. Whatever happened to the hot girls shown in colleges in the Hindi movies? ‘Hindi movies are all crap,’ he says to himself dejectedly. So he is going to spend 4 years like this? Worse, the teachers are horrible, and he falls into a slumber 30 minutes into the first class itself. He has basic electrical engineering, mathematics, physics, chemistry, English and basic Mechanics in the first semester. Mathematics is all right, but he hates all other subjects from the start. ‘Come on.’ He says to his classmates. ‘Why on earth should an Instrumentation engineer study mechanics and chemistry? And what use is engineering drawing to us? How can such funny symbols help us in any way?’

‘Dude, all engineering students need to do them. Not just you,’ his friend remarks. Raj is disappointed. But he doesn’t know yet that things are going to get worse.

The seniors drop in for a casual visit. Except it isn’t that casual after all. The ragging period stretches on for a month, and Raj is forced to do all sort of nefarious things which he never thought he would have to. Add to that the dull, insipid classes and the rotten hostel food. On top of it, his room is hot as hell, without any ventilation, and there isn’t even a proper playground nearby. ‘What mess have I gotten myself into?’, he exclaims. ‘Is college life supposed to be like this?’ Before long, Raj is fed up. Thankfully, the ragging period gets over after a month. But the vapid classes continue. Raj fails to find any good looking girl in the entire campus. The few decent ones are already committed. And thanks to the 90:10 ratio[male:female], he gives up trying his luck.

‘It’s as if all guys want to get into engineering and all good looking girls want to stay far away from engineering colleges. It’s so unfair’, he moans. Frustrated beyond all control, and fed up of staying single his entire life Raj takes up smoking and drinking in order to get rid of his depression. Soon, he finds both activities quite pleasurable and becomes hooked. He spends the lazy nights smoking on the terrace of his hostel floor and watching pornographic movies on his laptop. Life is finally becoming good. Though the classes and exams remain as intolerable as always.

First sem results are declared and Raj gets a measly 6.34, somehow managing to pass in all subjects[thanks to his newly acquired cheating prowess]. That result shocks his parents, who till now believed that their child was one of the best. Raj also isn’t amused. How come one of the best students in school end up like this? Hadn’t he prepared hard to clear the engineering entrance exams? Then why does he dislike his subjects so much now? Why is it that Thevenin and Norton go over his head? How come power systems and fluid dynamics make him feel suffocated? ‘This isn’t what I wanted to do,’ he remarks finally one fine day, after completing 3 miserable years in his college and scoring a series of 6 points GPA. But engineering is that best career choice there is. All engineers are hard working students and the ones who deserve good jobs.

Disillusioned and disheartened, Raj simply bears the pain. One day, he sees that few of his classmates were taking Computer coaching classes. On further inquiring, he comes to know that they are learning C++, Java, Oracle, Dot Net, and other programming languages. ‘What for? Why does an Instrumentation Engineer needs to learn them?,’ Raj wonders. Then he realizes. Post recession, the ‘Placements’ situation in college has been dismal to say the least. And the few companies which are coming are all from Information Technology[I.T.]. So acquainting oneself with programming skills will surely help one to get an I.T. job. ‘Raj buddy, you should know that people get into engineering just for jobs and nothing else. There is no scope for interest or passion here. We are all misfits here, but we need jobs, which only engineering colleges can provide.’ Initially Raj is a bit skeptical about this. ‘Is that really so? Can only engineering graduates get good jobs? What about people who are interested in History, or Painting, dance, Commerce, Architecture, Microbiology, etc? Is there no scope for them?’ But slowly Raj is convinced that he too must try to get into an I.T. job. He joins the tuition classes along with his friends and tries to learn C, C++ ,DBMS, Java and J2EE. Most of the things go above his head. Not long after, he starts hating the tuition classes as well. But since the placement season is approaching, he goes along with it.

Fast forward to the Fourth Year- the reason why every meritorious student joins an engineering course- the Placements Season arrives. As feared, no core company comes to campus. It’s just a few I.T. companies and that too lowly ranked ones. After struggling through the aptitude tests and interviews, Raj somehow manages to get into an ‘Unheard of’ I.T company. What surprises him is that whatever he had learned during the past 3 years[including the computer classes] was completely laid to waste. The job was related to Software testing, which he hadn’t even heard of earlier. There was just one question ringing in Raj’s head, as he attended the college convocation programme to get his engineering degree- ‘Why on earth did I waste 4 years of my life doing something which I never liked, when I never needed that knowledge to get a job(that too something totally different from my domain)?’

At the moment, Raj did not have the answer. He prepared himself to join the workplace, which was in another city.

*To Be Continued

Life of an Average Indian Male- Part 1

2010-11-29T15:36:00.003+05:30

So what’s the life of an average Indian male like? I decided to make a short synopsis in this post. First of all, let me clarify what I mean by average. Basically the word is used to suggest that the person is an Indian male, preferably belonging to the middle class, has access to higher education, and does not face any severe hindrances[such as financial constraints] as such. You can say that he is from a well to do family, and has all the facilities which a middle class man does[including a Facebook account and a Smart-phone]. So how does he spend his life and what does he do? Lets begin.

First of all, in all probability, he will attend an English medium private school[hardly any middle class parent will make his son attend a regional/government school]. The school may not be outstanding, but is good enough to provide decent education to the child. Like everyone else, he faces his share of ups and downs in his school life. He is rewarded for his qualities and reprimanded for his misdeeds. He does good in some subjects and excels in a few extra-curriculars. He may be a good cricketer but a poor speaker. In short, he is good in few things, not-so-good in others. He enjoys Sports, but dislikes Chemistry. And so on and on. I believe most children have a similar lifestyle. Of course there are exceptional students and abysmal ones too, but majority lie somewhere in between, like our protagonist.
Lets give our hero a name, shall we? So we will call him Raj[the most banal name used by Bollywood]. Now Raj is entering teenage life. He is already 5 foot 8, and still growing. He gets to know and learn a lot more things. He may have an interest in Computer Programming, or he may be addicted to Mathematics. Perhaps he likes reading Science Fiction, or prefers bowling Leg Spin deliveries to his opponents. Slowly but steadily, he is gaining maturity and evolving into an adult. This is the adolescent period which every child has to pass through. He may develop an interest in the opposite sex[which is normal for every child his age]. He starts shaving soon enough. He participates in Debates, and Writing Competitions. He goes on to represent his School cricket team in a city cricket competition. He scores 100 out of 100 in his class 8 Mathematics exam. His class rank is always in the Top 5. He wins a few prizes, medals and certificates in co-curricular activities. He has a crush on his classmate. And so on and so forth. He does not like certain subjects such as History and Economics, but mugs up everything so as to score good marks in the exams.

Now Raj is in Class 10, an important juncture in his life. He sits for his Xth Board exams and scores a decent 89% overall, with 95% in Maths and Science. Naturally, his parents are delighted. Raj is also happy, though slightly disappointed on missing out of an even figure. He joins the Science stream in Plus 2, in the same school, along with most of his school friends.

Most of his friends have opted for IIT coaching at a local coaching institute. Raj also does the same. He starts following HC Verma for Physics, and Das-Mukherjee for Calculus. He dislikes Chemistry just as he did in school, but forces himself to go through Organic, Inorganic and Physical Chemistry textbooks. He tries to follow the study material given to him by the institute, but hardly gets any interest in doing so. His school teachers are average and of not much help in his IIT pursuit. He proposes to his classmate but gets turned down. The first rejection of his life hurts. He feels shattered, and does not understand why she refused to be his girlfriend. He tries to get rid of the pain by watching pornography, which is freely available. He spends hours every day on Facebook, chatting with strangers and playing Mafia Wars.

IIT preparation has become a pain. Still, Mathematics fascinates him and he tries to juggle in between his subjects. His parents forced him to take up Biology as well, since they felt he should appear for both Engineering and Medical exams. ‘Why should I do so? I can’t become both an Engineer and a Doctor, so why not focus on just one?’, asked Raj in a monotonic voice. He got no satisfactory answer, but he knew that many of his friends were also doing the same. His best friend, Amit said ,’Yaar, am trying my luck in both medical and engineering exams. Kahi na kahi to ho hi jayega.’ Neverthless Raj finds his current school life extremely dull, and loses interest in studying. He finds Biology extremely boring, and somehow manages to pass in the exams.

The Entrance exam season begins, and Raj takes the IIT-JEE, AIEEE, CBSE-AIPMT, State Engineering and Medical Exams, BITSAT, etc for the first time. He performs decently in board exams and manages to get 84%. However, when the entrance exam results are declared, Raj receives the shock of his life- Failed to qualify in all exams apart from the State Engineering one. With a poor rank in AIEEE, he knows he will not get into a good engineering college. So on the basis of his State Engg rank, his parents get him admitted into one of those million private engineering colleges which have mushroomed all across India in the past decade. The college is far from his home, and for the first time in his life, Raj shifts into a hostel. Raj got into Instrumentation Engineering, because his rank wasn’t good enough to Get Electronics & Communication, or Computer Science, the two top branches.

Thus ends Raj’s stage of life dealing with Primary Education. Now he is about to enter the stage of Higher Education. And become an Instrumentation Engineer in the next 4 years. Raj is initially disappointed at his performance, but at the same time also eager to taste the freedom and fun of the college life he has heard so much about.

*To be Continued

Note: This is not just a fiction story. I have a purpose behind this series. I shall analyze all the wrong decisions made by an Indian male and their probable answers after I am finished with this story. So please bear with me. Thank you all.

MBA season Begins

2010-11-15T14:51:00.002+05:30

*Personal

Hello guys. Its been quite a while since I posted last. Have been really busy this time, honest. And have loads of things to do as well.

Have 4 MBA exams left, plus 7th semester is knocking on the door. I finally started my preparation today. Phew! The next few months are going to be really hectic, no doubt.

I have taken the first CAT of my life[7th Nov]. Did well I hope. But Quant performance wasn’t up to the mark. Anyways, what’s done is done. Have got my NMAT score[224 out of 360] which will hopefully fetch me a call from Narsee Monjee, Mumbai.

In the meanwhile, I fell sick[severe cough and cold, accompanied with mild fever]. Currently I have incessant stomach pain. Sometimes I feel like swapping my body with someone else’s[a more healthy one]. But enough complains, there’s much left to be done.

My current occupations are:

1) Reading Superman and Batman comics after 5 years- Feeling of nostalgia. Just completed the Death and Return of Superman series- one of the best I must say.

2) Playing Star Wars Force Unleashed 2, and Fallout 3- thanks to Kuntal once more.

3) Reading a few novels which I had stopped mid way- Goal, Short History of Nearly Everything, The Discovery of India, etc.

4) Magazines and newspapers.

5) Wasted the entire last week by going to college.

6) For the first time in my life, I skipped a sessional/mid-term exam due to frustration[it was postponed without notice].

7) Sleeping and listening to music[not sure about the order though].

8) Solving IIFT[my next MBA exam] mocks[did quite well in the last one, confidence high].

9) Revising Higher Maths for JMET[Yet another MBA Exam].

10) Watching anime occasionally. Saw a few Superman animated movies, loved them. Especially the Doomsday one, and another called Apocalypse.

11) Planning on watching a few movies- The Expendables, Gandhi[for the 2nd time], Top Gun, POC, Goldeneye.

12) Preparing for semester exams. [PS – I HATE COMPILERS/Language Processors. I STILL DO NOT KNOW WHY ON EARTH WE HAVE THIS LAME SUBJECT].

13) Moderating at Pagalguy- The best Indian MBA website.

14) Checking out Facebook status updates[I don’t waste much time here though].

15) Thinking about my future blog topics[the serious ones].

So whats making news currently?

1) Obama visit.

2) Bihar Polls

3) Aung San Suu Kyi

4) Indonesia Volcano Eruption

5) Asian Games- Guangzhou.

6) New CM for Maharashtra, and resignation of A. Raja[No need to mention Suresh Kalmadi here].

7) Kashmir related issues.

8) Seoul G20 meet.

9) Indo-France, Indo-Russia, Indo-USA, and Indo-Japan deals.

10) Rakhi Sawant[on whom a case was filed recently].

And of course many others. Too tired to type any more. Got to have lunch. So take care folks. And all the best to Season 2010 MBA aspirants.

Are Live-In Relationships Immoral?

2010-10-25T14:41:00.003+05:30

Okay, I will keep this post short. For a change, instead of giving my opinion, I would like to know Your opinion on this controversial topic.

But before you give your views[via replies to this post], do read the following Letter published in the Hindu, a few days ago. Its typed Verbatim.

' It may appear that live-in relationships offer women a lot of freedom but they actually give them no security. It is the duty of the elders and society to guide young girls in the right direction lest society become corrupt and dirty. The Indian marriage system is the best and any attempt to go against it will have grave implications for our morals and peaceful lifestyle. '

This letter was written in response to the recent Hullabaloo going on in the Supreme Court regarding Live-in relationships and allowances[including the misuse of the word 'Keep']. But my question is, if two people decide not to marry and stay together under one roof, is it corrupting our society and making it dirty, as the gentleman says in his letter?

If you are reading the above post, I would request you to post a reply, stating your views on the topic. Thanks in advance.

Games I have Played in 2010

2010-10-13T14:23:00.003+05:30

Okay guys, this is my 75th Blog post. Hurray! Cheers! Pass the Lemon Soda. Okay, that’s enough. Its been a long journey so far[over 1.5 years] and I would like to Thank all those patient people who took out their time to go through my blog. Thanks a lot guys. Hope you keep wasting your time like this, erm keep reading my posts like this. :)

In this post, I will not write anything. But I will simply list the games which I have played this year[2010]. Some of them rocked, some were damn good, and some were pityingly lame. Gaming has always been a big passion for me[am an avid gamer for the past 10 years] and its also a Billion Dollar industry. So here goes nothing.

In No Particular Order:

1. Mass Effect: [Action RPG]- 9 out of 10. Excellent Space Adventure.

2. Mass Effect 2:[Action RPG]- 9.5 out of 10. Outstanding. Just go and play it. Period.

3. Gears of War[Action]-7/10. Highly over-rated. Alien fighting. Not My Type.

4. Assassin’s Creed 2[Action, Adventure]- 9/10. Quite good. Lots of improvement over its predecessor. And it has Leonardo Da Vinci.

5. Prototype[Action,Superhero]-5/10. Great gameplay marred down by Repetitive Levels. Poor storyline for what could have been an Awesome Superhero game.

6. Ninja Blade[Action]- 4/10. I installed this one only because I Love Ninjas. And it still disappointed. Frustrating controls, add to that you cannot save in between levels[which take anywhere between 2-3 hours to complete], with 4-5 bosses you need to keep fighting. In short, avoid.

7. Batman Arkham Asylum[Action, Superhero, Tactics]- 9.9/10. This game is Perfect. If you like Batman, there is No way in Hell you can afford to miss this one. If you don’t like Batman, there is still No way in Hell you can afford to miss this one. Great graphics, awesome Gameplay, Fantastic storyline, Superb Moves, Adroit techniques, what more do you need?

8. Matrix, Path of Neo[Action]- 8/10. This is a rather old game[was released in2 005], but I played it only recently. And I liked it. It has nice action moves, and it’s a must for All Matrix fans. Non-matrix fans-better avoid it.

9. Saboteur[GTA Clone]- 5/10. Yet another of those GTA clones. This one is set in 1940s Paris. Which has been taken over by the Nazis. You need to do stupid jobs like blowing their hideouts or racing in antique cars. This game has great graphics, but I found it very boring. Nothing exclusive or special about this one. And some missions are too hard.

10. Dragon Age Origins[RPG]- 9/10. Twenty-Five hours of gameplay, and still counting. You can play this game for 100 hours and still manage Not to complete it. This is purely fantasy based, and has lots of things similar with LOTR, Elders Scroll, Neverwinter Nights, Wheel of Time, and so on. Still the gameplay is very addictive. The only [major] problem with this game is the camera angles which are frustrating to control[Yes you need to change them manually].

11. Desperados 2[Strategy-Wild West]- 7.5/10. This is a sequel to the Highly acclaimed strategy game Desperados which was released way back in 2001, yet boasted of Great graphics and superb gameplay. Now it even includes a Third person view. The game is good, but the story is very poor, and there is not much to do in a mission. If you don’t like Cowboys, avoid this one.

12. Prince of Persia- the Forgotten Sands[Action, Adventure]- 7/10. The Prince is back, into the ravages of the sands. Now he needs to battle sand monsters, Djinns and more. The Prince has quite a few new moves, including the Ability to Freeze water and to Teleport. However this game Doesn’t even pretend to have a story. Which is hugely disappointing considering the impeccable storyline of the earlier Prince Trilogy[sands of time, warrior within and the two thrones]. Throughout the game, you need to run after you brother, and in the end you fight him and kill him. That’s all there is for the story. The action and maneuvers however are superb.

13. Prison Break Conspiracy[Action, Tactics]- ?/10. To be honest, I just played this game for a few times, and then deleted it. My friend remarked it’s a great game, but I found the controls Horribly frustrating. Everything else about the game seems to be okay, so I will try it again in future someday.

14. Civilization V [Strategy]- 2/10. I cant believe how people find this game to be so good[it got a 9.2 rating on Gamefaqs]. Its horribly lame. Doesn’t even come close to the Age of Empires series. Its even worse off than Age of Mythology[which was released way back in 2002]. You just choose a hero[Gandhi for India], build a civilization, form pacts, and just sit around trying to figure out inane ways of keeping your population happy. That’s it. Just forget this game.

I may have played a few more, but can’t recollect as of now. Will not be playing much for the next few months[due to MBA exams], but will probably try my hand out at Crysis 2[releases next year], Max Payne 3, and Metal Gear Solid 5[which will hopefully release for the PC this time]. Until them, keep rockin, Gamers.

Different Kinds of CAT Aspirants

2010-10-07T20:56:00.001+05:30

Okay guys, I admit I have been lazy in posting. But I have been busy, honest. Now with Exactly one month to go for my CAT exam[7th November], I decided to write a Sarcastic account of CAT aspirants.

As you may know, the Common Admission Test[more commonly known as CAT] is the only medium to gain entry into the Prestigious IIMs[Okay, not strictly NRIs can get in through GMAT, but lets skip that]. And it is conducted once every year, though from 2009 onwards it has become a Computer Based Test[CBT] so it is conducted over a window of 20 days. Of course, by now all the 2.5 lakh plus aspirants are working hard to crack the CAT and get a seat in the hallowed portals of the IIMs. But many of them differ in their attitude and way of thinking[preparation wise]. So let us divide them into 5 Broad categories:

1) The No-Nonsense, 99+ percentile Getter: These guys are serious. The champs, and the ones who have the highest probability of making it to IIMs/Other top Bschools. They don’t rest till they solve as many mocks as they can, and gather tons of 99+ percentiles to their credit. They refuse to budge down, unless they have solved every possible question they can, and are ready to give it their all. No wonder they end up being successful. On the down side, even if they get 1 mark less than they should have, All Hell ends up breaking loose for them. There are guys who get 150 out of 180 and still remark-‘I could have scored more. I screwed up 2 ques in DI’. Some aren’t satisfied with 99.5 percentile. They still want more. Is there any end to greed[even if it’s a positive one]? The same trend continues when they enter the IIMs. Even if they get 0.1 lakhs less[pay package] than they should have, they raise a Fury. And they are guys who broke down just because they did not get into a Famous Investment bank. Hmm, interesting take.

2) The Casual One: This guy takes his mocks and other MBA exams casually. He is not that serious as Category 1, and in most cases even the result does not matter him. He is like-‘Milta hai to Theek Hai, Nahi Mila tab bhi theek hai.’ In one word- Nonchalant. Such guys seldom manage to get into a Top bschool[though they can definitely get in 2 tier and 3 tier bschools], yet they remain indifferent to it. Many of them have a job[say Final year engineering student] and think that they can crack CAT later in the future if not now[though that seldom happens].

3) The Frantic One: This guy is always busy, but nobody knows regarding What. You will always find him surrounded with books, Mock Test papers, CAT Preparation CDs, Vocabulary building books, GRE material, Vedic Maths, and what not. But the thing is, he scarcely anything due importance. He is always shuttling around from one place to the other, has little time to talk with anyone[lest he spends one minute less on his preparation than he should have], ignores most people around him, and finally becomes a recluse. Such kind of people rarely succeed, and if they do, it’s more a matter of luck than of effort.

4) The Over-Confident One: The World is his Portal, so what is CAT in front of him? Nothing more than a minor exam which is waiting to be cleanly swept by this Supremely confident candidate. He doesn’t bother with his mocks or preparation. He knows that he can easily score 99.9 percentile on the C-day[the day when he will take CAT]. He knows he has magic in his fingers[and thumb, to be used on the mouse in order to tame the CAT]. There is possibly no way in which he can select a single wrong answer. And the reason for his Confidence- His belief that his innate Managerial skills can help him solve any problem. But when he fails to make the cut, he uses his Magic Finger[and Thumb] to blame every possible person or thing on Earth, apart from him[and his preparation]. Of course the World conspired to bring about his failure. What else could be the reason?

5) The Under-Confident One: Can this guy be left behind? He is surely appearing for CAT, but doesn’t have the slightest doubt about the fact that he is going to fail. He is positively confident that he will end up screwing the exam, even 6 months before the exam takes place. Nothing can make him change his mind. And he doesn’t even bother to prepare, since his can predict his destiny of Supreme Failure. Fortunately for him, he doesn’t end up proven wrong[unlike the guy from category 4]. So he is satisfied and remarks-‘I knew it all along I wouldn’t make it.’

All the best to all CAT takers from my side. 

Why Me?

2010-09-26T14:47:00.003+05:30

Why me? I can bet that you have at least once in your lifetime uttered those two words. Isnt it? Personally, I have done so dozens of times. The question is usually asked to God, though sometimes it can be asked to our friends, or maybe even ourselves. And in almost all cases, we ask that question when something tragic happens to us.

Your girlfriend ditched you recently. You could not believe it[or still cant]. You went into a state of shock. You were the best guy for her, you were confident about that. You did everything you could to please her, you both her innumerable gifts, yet that ungrateful creature left you. ‘Why me?’, you ask in a sorrow tone.

You are struck with a deadly disease, dengue, cholera, cancer, etc. You were perfectly fit earlier, and used to exercise daily and follow a healthy diet. Then why did you catch such a disease? ‘Why me?’, you sob as you lie in your bed. ‘What did I do wrong, God? What did I do to deserve this misery? Look at my friend. He has a beautiful girlfriend and a wonderful physique. Why then am I lying in the bed with no one by my side?’

You are participating in a race. ‘This is your golden chance to prove that you are the best’, you say to yourself. You struggle to reach the finish line. Out of nowhere your competitor nudges past you and snatches victory. Worse, you come in Fourth position. The guy who overtook you smiles as he gets the medal, and you are left snarling with fury, restless and out of breath. ‘Why me, damn it? How come I don’t win anything even after keeping the lead for most part of the race?’

CAT results are declared. Furiously you open the website, and enter your roll number. Your heart is in your throat. Your fingers are trembling. And finally you get the message on the screen-‘Your percentile is 98.97. You have not got any calls from any IIMs[Not Verbatim obviously]’ Immediately you feel as if someone has stabbed you in the heart[or in the throat since your heart is stuck there].
Instantly you call up your friend to tell him your score. ‘Oh, that’s good he says. I have got calls from IIM A,B,C,……’ Talk about disappointment. You bang your head on the desk in frustration and remark-‘Why me? I prepared so hard for this for 2 years, and I still didn’t make it, whereas my friend hardly ever studied but got a better score.’

Do the above 4 examples sound familiar to events which may have occurred in your life? You can take countless other instances when you are forced to question yourself- ‘Why me? Why not someone else? What did I do wrong?’ But have you ever tried to find the answer? Most probably not. If you ask me, the answer is simple enough- IT ISNT JUST YOU. It happens to everyone. The thing is, you are probably too occupied with your personal life to notice it. We get envious of others when we see them happy, enjoying and having fun. We feel that our life is full of misery and they have everything. That’s a farfetched thought. Rather the truth is that you are possibly pessimistic and that person is optimistic.

Bad things happen to everyone, good and bad alike [and NO, they do NOT happen to Good people only, as is widely claimed]. It’s our attitude which defines how we deal with tragedies and come out of them. You have two options- cry and moan over the misfortunes that befell you, or accept the reality, move forward, and work harder to come out of the crisis. But the unfortunate thing is that Most humans do not deal with pleasure and pain alike. We welcome good things/events with open arms and enjoy as long as the day is bright. The moment something bad happens, ,we start complaining and crying that things are never right with us. Have we ever taken a moment to thank God for all that He has given us, instead of lambasting Him when problems surround us? When a famous sportsperson was asked- ‘Isnt it unfortunate that you have got cancer? Don’t you ask yourself- Why Me?’ To which the guy replied-‘No I don’t. When I won the World Championship and lifted the Trophy high in the air, did I at that time ask God- Why Me? Why not someone else?’ Those were the words of a true champion. When we get good things, do we ever question God/or to ourselves-‘Why me? What did I do to deserve this happiness?’ No we don’t. We simply take it for granted. The questioning starts when we land in trouble.

Coming back to those 4 examples, did those 4 guys ask the same question when : i) The guy was enjoying with his girlfriend ii)The person was healthy iii) The guy won a race in the past iv) Why did I get a higher score than 98.97 percent of the people? No, they did not.

I believe in the principle of Yin and Yang, Equivalent Exchange[made popular by the highly renowned anime cum manga Full Metal Alchemist], or the theory ‘that s used to describe how polar or seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other in turn’[Source- Wikipedia]. Light and Darkness, Male and Female, Sky and Earth, Hot and Cold, and so on. Same is the case for pleasure and pain. So instead of accepting one and disowning the other, we should learn to endure both.

Thanks for reading folks. Have a nice day.

What Malcolm Gladwell Missed!

2010-09-10T15:15:00.005+05:30

All right, for a change, I will make this article a short one. In his book called Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell devotes a chapter to Rice Paddies and Mathematics [to know the connection between the two, purchase the excellent book]. In that chapter, he says that Asian students have an innate proclivity towards Mathematics due to which they end up performing much better than their Western[notably American] counterparts.

The reason for their inclination towards Maths, is not because they are very hard working students, but because of their language. Asian languages, like Chinese, Korean, Japanese, etc have very short names for the numbers. For eg 4 is Si in Chinese and Shi in Japanese. But in English, we have long names, such as Seventeen, One Hundred and Twenty Two, etc. So it takes more time for us to register that number in our mind when we are thinking and calculating in English, but if we do so in Asian languages, we can do all calculations rapidly and with a very high accuracy. This also improves our memory and our mathematical skills, since we can both calculate and write very fast with a high accuracy.

That is the basic argument as to why Asians outperform Americans in Mathematics. And to some extent the logic is true of course. But that does NOT mean that the only reason Americans lag behind in Mathematics is due to language. For Gladwell, while performing his research on Asian countries, has conveniently forgotten to consider another country, the one with the second largest population, and the second fastest growing economy- India.

We will, for the time being consider only literate Indians, notably the middle class and the high class. Almost all of them, without exception, learn Mathematics in English and not in any other language[asian or otherwise]. Yet, almost ALL of them can easily beat any American student of their level [or even a higher level] when it comes to Mathematics. Let alone Americans, in fact most Indian students can easily compete with any country in the world when it comes to Mathematics[at the middle school or high school level]. And they do that with English as a medium- making Gladwell’s argument fall flat on its feet that it’s due to the language that students perform calculations better.

You [especially if you are not an Indian] may think that I am just being boastful about my own country. But I will take another example- that of the most popular competitive exam in the world- the Graduate Record Examination[GRE]. And you cannot blame me for any bias, because it is an American exam, not an Indian one. So, I give you three guesses to this question-Students from which country perform the best in GRE? If you ask this to an average American, the chances are he will answer this- ‘USA, Germany, France’, or if he is a bit more knowledgeable he can say China. But of course the correct answer is India. Indians dominate in all western exams- GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, IELTS, etc. Though now the Chinese have also come far ahead. In fact, take the questions of the Mathematical section of the GRE- designed to test college level students, and give them to any student of class 7 or 8 in India, and he/she will solve them with ease.

Now do the reverse. Bring some of the brightest Western students and make them appear for IIT-JEE, probably one of the toughest exams in the world. And check how many of them can even solve a few questions, let alone crack the exam.

So why is it that if Indian students are so good in Mathematics, hardly any Indian has made any significant contribution to the field of Mathematics? Can we name even a single living [famous] Indian mathematician? In fact I doubt if students can go beyond Ramanujan or Mahalonobis[both dead for quite a while].

At one time, India produced most of the World’s best Mathematicians. However this culture has vastly disintegrated and now we produce only engineers and managers trying to serve their own selfish greed, rather than making any significant progress/research in their field.

In fact, the reason why so many child prodigies who win medals in the International Mathematics Olympiad disappear is because their parents force them to join IITs and do engineering. Once they get into that, the thought of mathematics is all but forgotten. Sad, but true. In the west, such budding youngsters are encouraged to sharpen their talents and do extra-ordinary research in their field, be it Mathematics, Science, Law, Medicine, etc. It’s only in India that we look down upon people who do not choose engineering, medical, etc as a profession and try to do something different.

I will end with this story- I know a person who was interested in Statistics, and wanted to do research work in Mathematics which would help India develop a better mechanism for studying the poverty rate, and the food distribution rate, etc. Instead his parents forced him to join an Engineering college, shattering his dream, which along with him slipped into oblivion.

When will the people [especially realize] realize that forcing your children to study Engineering and MBA against their will is actually harming rather than benefiting them? Getting an ABC job is NOT, and SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED THE ONLY AIM IN LIFE.

Just recently, some notable Mathematicians around the world were awarded the Fields medal[equivalent of a Noble Prize] in India [International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM)-Picture Above]. Yet not one of them was Indian. Vishwanathan Anand played chess with 40 Mathematicians simultaneously, yet the people of India are yet to wake up from their slumber.

As long as people keep on pursuing their own selfish interests, ie money and status, India can forget about producing any eminent personality in the field of Mathematics or Science.

Reservation- The Conclusion [Part 2]

2010-09-04T14:07:00.004+05:30

continued from previous post

Personally, I believe that reservations are not really necessary and should be dispensed off altogether. They clearly violate the Right to Equality. Even if we accept that backward caste people were grossly exploited in the past, it does not justify why their grandchildren or great grandchildren should be benefited now. Take the case of Australia, now one of the most advanced countries in the world. However almost every Australian has an ancestor who was a criminal and deported [from England] to the sub-continent sometime in the past. Does that mean that since their ancestors were criminals, all Australians should be put into jail? Ridiculous. We need to get over the past and focus on the present. Even Ambedkar intended the reservation policy to carry out for just 50 years, by the time; he thought the backward caste people would have raised enough to walk shoulder to shoulder with the General category. However this did not happen. Instead reservation quota was increased. And with politicians such as Mayawati and Lalu Prasad Yadav endorsing reservation like anything, it’s unlikely that reservation will ever be stopped in future.

Unfortunately the only people who deserve to get reservation are those who don’t get it, namely the ones belonging to the BPL[Below Poverty Line Category]. Such people rarely even manage to scrape through school, let alone get themselves admitted into higher educational institutes or jobs. Politicians are also not bothered, since they do not constitute a part of their vote bank. But can’t we have some other solution apart from reservation?

Instead of just reserving a Higher Education seat, why not give him proper food, shelter, clothing and access to education from the very beginning? After all, the poor student will be unable to adjust to the environment if he is just given a free pass and nothing else. Moreover, it’s almost always the middle class people who avail of the reservation schemes, since their children study in decent private schools along with the General category students. The following is a common occurrence nowadays-‘Two children[say A and B], good friends study in the same school throughout till class 12. Then the competitive exams take place. A finds out that he has scored a decent rank but failed to get into the college of his choice. However he sees that his friend B has got a similar result. But he is shocked to know that B has managed to gain entry into the college of A’s dreams. A is bewildered. Only later he realizes that B somehow managed to obtain a Backward caste certificate and got hold of a seat reserved for S.C.s]. The above incident is pretty common. In fact, nowadays most people do not openly declare that they are from backward castes. They are ashamed to say in public that their grandparents were sweepers or cobblers. The stigma hasn’t really vanished. But when the opportunity arrives, they quietly get hold of such certificates in sneak into colleges/companies/etc. In fact, such is the greed to get hold of a seat, that many General category people are obtaining forged certificates stating that they belong to so and so backward caste. It seems that people will go to any length to find a shortcut instead of taking the right but hard path. And since reservation is legal, there is nothing wrong about it[according to them].

When I was in school, I did not even know which student was from a backward caste and who was not. I never discriminated anyone with respect to their caste, religion, status, color, gender, etc. However I will lie if I say that I did not feel disappointed[and also a bit angry] when I saw some of my classmates get admission into NITs[for example] with a lower rank than mine, whereas I did not get any seat anywhere[am from general category]. This feeling of anger is natural and justified. What did those students do to deserve the seats? The answer is they did nothing. It’s just that they were from backward castes. The same situation is prevalent throughout India. We need to seriously question the motive and policy of reservation.

Or else, we could simply keep giving more reservation to people who want them. Let us have reservations for all minority religions- Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Jains, Parsis, etc. Or we could have State Reservations- Marathis, Punjabis, Uttar Pradeshis, Bengalis, Assamese, etc. Or maybe geographical reservation- North, South, East, West, Central. Or reservation based on color- Dark, Brown, Fair, Extra Dark, Extra Fair, Medium, etc. Or reservation based on looks, that would be interesting- Beautiful, Handsome, Ugly, Horrible. Here is a sample Introductory session on the first day of college-‘Hi, I am A, Marathi Quota from Madhya Pradesh. Hello A, this is B, Central Quota from Haryana. Oh guys, wait up. This is C, Extra Fair Quota from Punjab. Hi, I am D, beautiful Quota from Maharashtra. Finally an exasperated guy shows up and starts speaking. Excuse me, but where is the registration for General category students? I did not find any place for that. Oh did you not hear? The General category Quota was removed. Now you need to find a Quota that suits you. Choose the State Quota if nothing else is applicable.’

So the question remains- Do we want a single united India? Or do we want to further divide it into numerous segments, dividing people across castes[which will be included in the Census, by the way], and introducing barriers throughout? The answer is only with us.

Reservation- A necessary Evil or a Farce? [Part 1]

2010-08-24T20:27:00.003+05:30

All right, before you all lambast me on choosing to write a clichéd topic such as Reservation in India, let me tell you that this is one vital issue which cannot be ignored by a blogger who writes about India. After touching upon ragging, racism, English obsession, sadism, poverty, etc, I have finally arrived at another hot, controversial topic- Reservation.

A little background information is necessary. In India, there are different types of reservations, for college seats, jobs in Public companies/institutions, etc. There are 3 main categories of recipients: 1)The Scheduled Castes[SC’s], 2)Scheduled Tribes[S.T.s] and 3) Other Backward Castes[OBCs]. It is estimated that more than 25% of the Indian population [around 30 crore] belong to the backward castes. The actual figure may even be higher, if all the sub-castes are included as well [along with the untouchables, the Dalits, etc]. A person namely responsible for starting the reservation Quota system after India gained independence was the late B.R. Ambedkar, a famous scholar who belonged to a lower class. He wanted people from such lower castes and classes to come up and get rid of the stigma attached to them.
Currently, around 49% of the total seats in Higher Educational Institutes[notably IITs and IIMs] are reserved for students from backward castes. In some areas such as Tamil Nadu, politicians want this figure to be raised even higher[though for now, the Supreme court has said that the number should not cross the 50% mark]. So why has reservation caused such a hullabaloo in our country though it’s totally legal and established by the Government itself?

The reason is quite simple. Almost every person belonging to the General category opposes reservation with the view that it provides a Short-cut or free pass/ticket to undeserving people, whereas deserving people[belonging to the general category] are left behind. Politicians demand extra reservation for people belonging to their castes [such as Yadavs or Mundas]. As such there are thousands of castes in our country, and it’s simply not possible to provide reservation for each and every one separately. So is reservation simply unfair? Is it actually fulfilling the aim or purpose for which it was launched?

Let us go more than 60 years in the past. India, a country which has recently obtained independence. A country where majority of the people are poor and homeless. A country with 85% of its population illiterate and 75% of the people dependent on agriculture alone. The condition of backward castes people at that time was horrendous. They were[and still are] ill-treated and exploited by the zamindars, land owners and money-lenders to name a few. They were mercilessly tortured, beaten, robbed, raped, and made to perform all sorts of atrocious acts[which are too vulgar to mention here, but some included eating cow dung]. Most of them hardly earned anything and many starved to death. The Government thought it to be necessary to uplift these people and get rid of the social evils which had plagued them. Thus the concept of reservations was introduced, mainly to show that in a democracy like India, people from all castes, status, etc would be included in the daily affairs of the nation.

Moreover, most of such backward class people were illiterate [close to 100%]. So it was necessary to provide them with education and jobs. So after the IITs and IIMs were set up, it was decided that a portion of the total seats would be reserved for people belonging to backward castes. So how did this escalate into a problem? The answer is simple. With passing of time, many people from the backward castes managed to get rid of their poverty and join the burgeoning middle class[now rising in number]. Plus there were quite a few people who had decent jobs at present[along with a decent salary of course], with ancestors belonging to some backward castes. But seeing that the reservation stood for all, such people naturally decided to utilize the benefits of reservation for their wards. So even if their children did not score as high as someone from general category, they still managed to get a seat into say an IIT, and later in a Government job. This was the starting point of the agitation, soon to gain momentum throughout the country.

Thousands of people protested. Some formed mobs, and went on a rampage in cities all across India. Some destroyed public property. Others set things on fire and some people set themselves on fire as a mark of protest. They had one demand-Put an end to this unfair practice of Reservation in the name of uplifting the backward class. They considered it to be a specious act. To quell their anger, the Government introduced the Creamy layer system in 1971[Sattanathan Commission] which specified that a certain wealthy section of Backward castes people would be ineligible for the reservation quota. At present those who earn above Rs. 4,50,000[which was raised from Rs. 2,50,000 in 2008] per annum belong to the creamy layer and are ineligible for reservation.

Though that worked to an extent, if truth be told, someone whose father earns a salary of say Rs. 4,25,000 per annum[which works out to Rs. 35,000 per month, quite a decent figure considering that majority of Indians don’t even earn one-tenth that amount] is still eligible for quota. This is, what I believe, rightly unfair[Oxymoron?]. If a person is already earning such a high amount of a salary, then why should his child get a reserved seat which he clearly does not deserve? On the other hand, there are also many genuine cases where a person is unable to give his child proper coaching so that he can join a reputed institute. Due to the environment the student lags far behind his urban counterparts, and is naturally disadvantaged when it comes to college admissions. In such a case, maybe he really deserves to get admission. So whats the way out of this?

To Be Concluded

MBA Updates- Dates, etc

2010-08-19T21:20:00.001+05:30

Here are the dates of a few MBA exams for this season[2010-2011]. Hope it will be useful for all MBA aspirants including myself:

1. CAT [for application to all existing IIMs and 100s of other Bschools including MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad, NITIE, etc] - 27th October till 23rd November- You can select any Date in between the Test window, excluding national Holidays such as Diwali. Two time Slots, either in the Morning or in the Afternoon.

2. IIFT [For application to Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Delhi and Kolkata campuses]- 28th November- 10 am to 12 pm.

3. FMS [For application to the Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi campus]- 5th December. Timing possibly in Afternoon slot.

4. JMET[For applications to IITs]- 12th December. [Possibly]- 10 am to 1 pm[3 hours].

5. SNAP[For application to all institutes under Symbiosis University such as SIBM Pune]- 19th December.

6. XAT[For application to XLRI Jamshedpur, XIM-Bhubaneswar, XISS Ranchi, etc]- Possibly on January 2nd or 9th.

These are the prominent MBA examinations. I do not have information about some of the other tests, notably MAT[Management Aptitude Test held four times a year] or NMAT[which will possibly be held in January] , IBSAT and MH-CET.
Also Note- As of this date, ie 19th August, 2010, only IIFT forms are available. The official CAT bulletin should be out on 22nd August, and sales of vouchers to commence from 29th August onwards. Again this is not confirmed yet. So keep checking the websites and follow newspapers regularly.

Personal:
People keep asking me as to how my preparation is going on. I usually give the same reply to all- ‘Preparation is good. I just need to improve slightly in Quant to clear the cut offs. I am doing quite well in the other 2 sections, ie DI and VA.’ This December is going to be a hectic one. Can’t expect to do well in the semester exams this time around. Btw my 6th sem result is out, and I managed a 8.89. That makes my YGPA 9.04, the second highest in my department [CSE-total 133 students]. I have been confident and optimistic throughout my course of CAT preparation[which began in my first year of college] and I hope I will be able to give a decent performance. I believe that staying calm throughout will greatly benefit anyone during the exam. As for mocks, I have mostly got in the lower 90s[93-95] but I know I am capable of getting into the upper 90s range. Going slow and steady.
All the best to those who are giving any/all of the above exams this season. I hope all of you do well. I will give my best performance as well.

P.S.- If you are not really interested in an MBA, kindly do not give the exams just for fun or thinking that it will get you a good job. It won’t help, trust me. You will only end up wasting time and money.
P.P.S.- If you STILL haven’t started your preparation, I would suggest that you either spend 10 hours a day on preparation[2 months] or just appear next year.

Overpopulation Crisis

2010-08-10T21:17:00.002+05:30

Note: This Post contains material which may be suited ONLY for adults. So if you are not one, I would recommend that you do not read this post.

India is currently the World’s second most populous nation. Almost all of us know that. Yet, hardly any of us has tried to do something about this fact, namely limit the population growth. True, most middle class families have adopted the one child principle[Not legally of course, unlike the one in China], which has helped in slowing down the population growth rate. However, in the rural areas[which still constitutes of over 70% of India’s population], the situation is bleak. Most families have more than 6 members in all, and many parents still have 5-6 children on an average. This situation is alarming, since huge population has severely hindered India’s progress for the last few decades. And the bulk of it is constituted by the rural people, and also the Lower Class/Poor category people.
Though the Census results will be displayed in 2011, it is estimated that India’s population is inching towards the 120 crore mark. This is an incredibly high figure since India constitutes just a mere 2.4% of the total Earth’s surface by area. Yet, neither the Government, nor the people are bothered. As if people prefer to have more and more children, even if that means additional burden on their income, and no dips in poverty levels. People keep comparing this figure with China, saying that China has a larger population, but they forget that China is a much larger country than India, and apart from a few places[Shanghai,Beijing,etc] the population distribution is more or less even. Compare this with India, where in some areas the population density shoots up to over 900 persons per sq km. In fact the situation is so bad, that in some villages, there are a lakh households spread across an area of mere 9 sq km.[I know it sounds hard to believe but it is the truth]

Why has the situation gone from bad to worse? Why do people keep having more and more children? Let us look into some of the factors: 1) Lack of basic education- Most people don’t have any idea about how the reproductive system works, neither are the aware about maternal health and child care, as a result both sectors are heavily neglected. 2) Refusal to use any Contraceptives- Many people are still superstitious and refuse to utilize condoms, pills, etc and most people will remember the 70’s eras, when forced sterilization was carried out with catastrophic ramifications. The bottom-line is- Most Indians stubbornly and arrogantly refuse to use contraceptives, and would rather have multiple children than to stay content with a small family. Though it is also true that due to lack of awareness, many people don’t get access to contraceptives and do not know how to use them. Awareness camps have done little, and the Government has hardly spent any money in educating the mass, especially in rural areas. Sex education remains a taboo, and Sexually Transmitted Diseases, such as the ferocious AIDS, are on the rise. 3) Male Child Preference- India still has a dismal sex ratio of around 927. The demand for a male child gives unnecessary pressure on a woman to keep having children[even at a risk to her health] till she delivers a male child. Even worse, the poor girl is blamed for giving birth to a female kid, even though its actually the male chromosome that determines the sex of a child. Many people still follow this policy- The More, the Merrier. Some people believe it’s the act of God who sends children, so such an act must not be opposed by using contraceptives. They even cite the example of Gandhi, who was against such measures himself. However they subtly forget to mention that Gandhi[after the age of 37] was a celibate, and strongly preached in the favor of abstinence. The modern day man clearly thinks otherwise.

Sex is one of the most basic and primitive human[or animal?] needs, as most biologists and psychologists will remark. So a person cannot simply be told to practice abstinence. However this does not mean that he should keep on producing more and more children, even after knowing that he cannot afford to take care of them. This only adds to the poverty[as we know that Food Grains increase in Arithmetic Progression, and Population in Geometric Progression] and not only affects the parents, but the entire society and hence the whole country. I believe that 90% of India’s problems can be directly or indirectly attributed to overpopulation. This can be simply reflected at the state of our miserable public transport system. Our buses, trains are so over-crowded that a normal person simply cannot make any journey in peace. No wonder so few foreigners prefer to come to India. All places around them are cramped by people, people and more people. Most of them are poor, uncouth, sadistic and follow unhygienic or immoral practices. But the saddest part is that, hardly anybody is doing anything about it. Overpopulation is one of the biggest impediments for India’s Economic development, yet the Government calmly ignores it, since politicians believe ‘More the number of People, the more votes they can capture.’ The average common Indian faces lots of difficulties, but decides to indifferent. After all, the solution is connected with the biggest taboo in India- talking about sex. And no Indian, poor or rich is willing to seek out the solutions when it deals with sex education.

The biggest problem is that ‘Power corrupts, and Absolute Power corrupts Absolutely.’ This is true in case of the reproductive power of man. Theoretically, a man can produce infinite number of children. So when someone has unlimited power, he is bound to misuse it. Which has become the case in India. Seeing that the fertility levels shot up the roof, each man tried to show the other[in Hindi we call it Mardanagi ] that he was more capable, by producing more children. ‘How dare he have 8 children, I will produce 11,’ he remarks without a speck of worry for his poor wife. The truth is that the problem of overpopulation has been exacerbated by the fact that people refuse to speak about sex and discuss sexual problems or even issues such as menstruation [only around 3% of women have access to sanitary napkins] or child care. They falsely believe that sex education will corrupt the minds of children. However they don’t understand that in the absence of sexual education, a child will get misconceptions which may be harmful for him. In fact, in a recent survey it is seen that most parents do not discuss anything about sex with their children, and it is obviously not taught in many schools[as everyone from politicians to teachers avoid even alluding the topic] as a result they come to know about it via pornography, or from their peers and seniors, which gives their minds a very negative impact.

In fact, such is the callousness of the Government, when it comes to the Overpopulation issue, the UP Government[Health department] recently remarked that the people should be given more TV sets which will help in lowering the population. Instead of taking concrete steps, they are just dodging the issue. And now, Uttar Pradesh can proudly boast that they have managed to beat Brazil- Not in any football match of course[not even close]. But in terms of population, they are all set to beat Brazil[20 crore plus and counting].

At least, on the plus side we can say that every sixth person in the World is an Indian.

Book Review: Johnny Gone Down

2010-07-25T22:38:00.005+05:30

Well, I happened to visit the City Center Mall in Kolkata last week, entirely by accident. Or you can say that it was a fortuitous visit. But this post is not about my visit. Rather it’s about one of the books which I picked up from a small book store called the Book Cellar. As you may have figured it out from the heading, the book is titled ‘Johnny Gone Down’ and its written by an amateur [is he really one?] author by the name of Karan Bajaj. Rings a bell? Maybe, if you have read an earlier novel by the name of ‘Keep off the Grass’[his only other major work, JGD being his second novel], or maybe if you are associated with Kraft Foods[for that is exactly where the author works]. The novel has already become a best-seller in the Indian market, and that forced me [A Certified Bookworm] to find out why.

Finally, after avoiding and slithering in between inseparable couples who do not hesitate in performing PDA acts, I managed to find myself a cozy corner, and dug into the book[Obviously not literally]. Before I begin the book, let me say that Karan Bajaj is another of those Young-generation Indian authors writing in English, who have taken the world[or at least Indian youngsters] by storm. Yet another IIMian[From IIM Bangalore], his book obviously draws comparison with Chetan Bhagat’s works. Though both of their works are fast-paced, trendy pieces of prose, the similarity ends there. Bhagat is more interested in highlighting social and national problems whereas Bajaj tries to tell us just how badly things can go wrong if we choose the wrong path. Anyways, this isn’t a Bajaj Vs. Bhagat post, so I might as well begin the review before you click on some other hyperlink.

Quoting one line from the Back Page synopsis, just to give you a general idea: ‘An innocent vacation turned into an epic intercontinental journey that saw Nikhil become first a genocide survivor, then a Buddhist monk, a drug lord, a homeless accountant, a software mogul and a deadly game fighter.’ Sounds rather confusing, is it? A hotchpotch of events which apparently make little sense to the general reader. So we have a protagonist called Nikhil, who is also known by a stream of other names: Monk Namche, Coke Buddha, Nick and finally Johnny. He travels across various countries, meets not-so-harmless people and makes a mess of his life. What’s so great about this abstruse storyline, you may ask. Let us go a bit deeper into the story and try to find out.

If you consider the different events [The Book is divided into parts separating the main events] as individual occurrences then it might seem that they are describing different persons rather than the same lonely hero. But as one reaches the end of the book, he/she realizes that those events are all inter-connected, and form bits of a pattern, which might seem non-existent or quite subtle at first. But slowly the pieces begin to unravel themselves, and we are left gasping with awe. Such is the impact of this 311 page novel. It makes the life of a normal, common Indian man look like that of a Hollywood film flick. True, this book has its share of co-incidences and fancy outings, but then it’s a work of fiction after all, and we all know that Sugar and Spice makes a Fiction novel seem really nice.

But the best thing about this book is that it’s different. And largely original, though the author claims that he has been inspired by several movies, books and his own personal adventures while he breathed life into Nikhil Arya. For starters, how many heroes lose their hand within the first 100 pages of the novel? Okay, not many. Then, how many Buddhist monks[the actual ones and not Quacks in disguise] do you see in the Drug distribution business? Sounds weird? Wait, it gets even better. Why should a drug lord who is earning millions of dollars every year, leave everything, go to the USA and become a Homeless accountant who shares his place with drug addicts? Plus why does Nikhil suddenly dive into Software and end up as a Shooter who plays a deadly game which could end his life within seconds? Is he fed up of life or with himself? Does he blame himself for the pain he has caused to numerous other people including his wife, or is it the fault of the World which was too cruel on him. Or is it just another trick of God, where the entire Universe is just an illusion and the Universal Truth is that All Life is Dukha [suffering, as preached by Buddha]. The Ultimate Aim of life is Nirvana. Or is it indulging in material pleasures, wealth, drugs, casual sex, revolver duels, software codes and virtual lives? Nikhil has to find that out before it’s too late. Before he ends up hurting everybody who has ever been close to him. And the only place which can give him true redemption is the land of sages and spiritualism, India.

The story is mesmerizing; the pace is fast and the action plentiful. And that’s not the only reason why you should read this novel. It has its own share of tragedy [in fact lots of it] and also wicked humor, dark at times and inspiring at others. You will feel that you can closely relate yourself to Nikhil’s character, someone whose life has gone totally out of control, who wants to get out of this maze, but is unable to do so. One thing leads to the next, and he is unable to break free. He feels deserted, helpless and lost. He blames himself for taking the wrong decisions. But at the same time, life is not just about facing misfortunes. It is surviving in the midst of a crisis, and having the courage to move on. The best point that the author makes is that Kindness, just like corruption and sadism, is Universal. No matter where you go, whichever country you are at, there will always be someone to help you and guide you. That’s something which goes beyond the language and culture barrier. This point has been highlighted quite well. Moreover, the climax and the ending are very inspiring and motivational. There is suspense in every page. The reader is forced to keep reading till he completes the novel, it’s that addictive, and thrilling.

Will Johnny Make it? Or is he going down for good this time? But will even death give him renunciation? Read the book to find out. You may like the book or you may hate it, but you will definitely learn something new out of this novel. A lesson in life which is worth knowing. And if you are an aimless person, miserable with the way things have been going on with you, desiring change with hopeless pessimism, then you are surely going to love this book. Try to grasp the inner meaning of this novel, and you will enjoy it even more, rather than simply treating it as a work of fiction.

Karan Bajaj has done an excellent job, and the fact that he has visited all the places which he writes about in his book, makes the story feel even more authentic and crisp. And the best part is that the book costs just a paltry Rs. 99, definitely a steal for any book lover. If you still don’t feel that you should get this book, then maybe you can go and practice shooting with a revolver instead. A toy one of course, you do not want to spend your time in prison[like Nikhil did] do you?

I am participating in the WeBlog's Sleepy Sunday contest! You may read other participating posts HERE

Why MBA?

2010-07-18T23:12:00.001+05:30

This is a collection of a few most clichéd statements pertaining to the popular question asked by many interviewers for Bschool aspirants:- ‘Why MBA?’ Many people have asked me the same question as well.

It is an open secret that most of the interviewees have absolutely no idea about the answer. Simply because they don’t have any reason for doing an MBA. They are merely doing so because their friends are doing so, and/or they are being forced by their family members. Or more simply, they are just doing it to get a high paying job and status in society. Of course all those actual reasons are considered taboo during the interviews, so let’s see what kind of answers these smart candidates actually give to hoodwink the interviewers. These are a collection of actual answers given in interviews, collected by me after studying various forum and blog posts in the net. I repeat, they are NOT a work of fiction created by me. People actually give these sort of answers during interviews when asked why they want to do an MBA.

Also, most of the answers have been given by engineers, who believe that MBA is an Official extension of engineering. So without wasting any more time, here I begin:

1) This is the formula used by most engineers-‘If you can’t convince them, then confuse them.’ So the answer is typically this type-‘As you can see, I gained technical insight and foresight into solving industrial and engineering related problems and also the applications pertaining to logical and technical skills which I gained during my engineering course. However, I would like to supplement it by gaining managerial skills at your esteemed ABC institute, to be able to provide in-depth leadership solutions for all esoteric problems.’ In reality what he means is-‘I don’t know why the hell I wasted 4 years doing something which I never understood[engineering] and I have absolutely no idea why I want to do the MBA. I just know that I need that 7 digit salary. But since you[the interviewer] won’t accept a direct answer, I have to go about it in a roundabout manner.’

2) The interviewer asks-‘You are so talented in photography. You have actively worked in an NGO. Your photos and articles have been published in international magazines. Why do you want to do an MBA then?’ Answer-‘This can be defined by Maslow’s theory in his pyramid. Blah blah, degree of self-actualization, needs, defining human psychology, etc etc.’ By now, even the interviewer is struggling to stay awake. Finally the candidate miraculously concludes his discussion by saying that an engineer just cannot stay alive and make a living unless he does an MBA. Defined by Maslow of course.

3) Sometimes the student tries to define a non-existent link between engineering and management. He tries to prove that both are actually quite similar and that one cannot exist without the other. So all engineers should be managers and all managers must have an engineering degree. Otherwise it will create havoc in this world. One guy actually said that just like different organs in our body perform different functions but are all interconnected by nerves, similarly management is largely connected to engineering and that only engineers can be good managers. Some people will go to any length to try to prove something which has no meaning. But after all, too many lies do make a truth.

4) Yet another plan devised by the ubiquitous engineers-‘Technopreneurship. The term stands for entrepreneurs who venture in the technical field. For example, Bill Gates or Steve Jobs, or even Akio Morita, founder of SONY. The frustrated interviewer remarks-‘If all engineers rush after MBA, then who will do engineering jobs’. The candidate smartly replies-‘This is an era of technopreneurship. We need capable entrepreneurs who venture into the field of technology to create outstanding products and sell them, blah blah blah.’ The interviewer sighs and gives up.

5) Finally, a person actually remarked- Since I am from IIT, the best engineering college it’s only logical that I go to IIM, the best management Bschool. Only that he forgets to mention WHY that should be so.

You may think that I harbor some kind of grudge against engineers or something. There’s nothing like that, since I am an engineer[about-to-be] aiming for doing MBA myself. It’s just that I do not approve of such shady methods of trying to fool the interviewer. If you have no reason of doing MBA besides money and status, why don’t you have the guts of simply saying so? Be frank and who knows, you can even be selected as the interviewers will definitely appreciate your honesty. In most cases, they are experienced people and will be able to see through your lies. However, with most of the people clearing the cut-offs being engineers, the institutes have no choice but to accept them[they can’t keep all their seats empty, can they?]. This is why many people who have no clue as to why they should pursue an MBA, also do manage to get into a good Bschool. Its only later, after passing out that they realize their mistake and end up suffering in some job which they never actually wanted. They may earn lots of money, but I doubt whether they will ever be satisfied.

It’s not a sin to run after money. In fact, you should learn effective[but legal] ways of generating wealth both for yourself and your company. Subroto Bagchi of Mindtree Tech. says that ‘To build a company, you should learn to love money. If you do not love money, do not build a company.’ Robert Kiyosaki, the author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad, also says that its very important to have a good financial understanding of a business. However, that does not mean that your only objective in life should be earning money. Even Chetan Bhagat remarks-‘You should have at least one non-monetary reason of doing an MBA.’ Most engineers have no real interest in business, economics, etc. Its just that MBA has become too much of a fad in India. We should try to relinquish this greed of making quick bucks, and instead do something which really interests us.

After all, before you take the decision of jumping into the MBA bandwagon, ask yourself this question-‘Am I wasting the 4 years I spent doing engineering? Will I actually apply any of my engineering skills after I complete my MBA? Or did I do engineering just for getting an engineering degree[which holds lots of value] and no other purpose’. These questions will help clarify your doubt.

Updates

2010-07-11T21:21:00.002+05:30

Updates from my side:

1. Saw I Hate Luv Storys today. Average, time pass movie. Nothing new. But enjoyed time with a great friend. :)

2. Saw two middle aged men arguing with the man selling food in the Interval Food counter. It was quite a loud argument, and at one point seemed that we would witness a free WWE Sample[okay not really]. I find it amazing how even grown up people start behaving so immaturely at times, just because they were getting a few minutes late for the movie.

3. Getting burned out from my summer training at Kolkata. Thankfully, it will be over soon.

4. Have almost completed Assassin's Creed 2, one of the few great games I have played recently. The last one was Batman: Arkham Asylum.

5. FIFA World Cup 2010 draws to a close. Final is tonight. Am supporting Netherlands though Spain look to be the favorites to hold the cup.

6. Have bought Simply Fly by Captain Gopinath. Simply amazing book. Also in line is Made in Japan by Akio Morita, and then The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, followed by the Idea of Justice by Amartya Sen. Am booked. Phew!

7. CAT preparation going on well, though Quant is hurting me real bad. In my first real mock, I got 94 percentile[IMS Open SIMCAT 1]- With almost Zero preparation. Am confident of scoring 98+ in the future mocks. But I need to work harder in Quant.

8. Need to work on my Education research. Have to decide on my career goals and take a firm decision.

Thats it for now. Thanks to all of you who have taken the pains of going through my lengthy posts. Am immensely grateful. I hope I will keep entertaining[or boring] you in future as well. For now, Adios Amigos.

P.S.- I got Desperados 2. Its cowboy time, baby! Bang!

A few Book reviews

2010-07-04T15:09:00.004+05:30

First another sincere apology to all my blog readers- I managed to post just one entry in the past month[June]. Here are my excuses:

1. I am lazy
2. I had my sixth semester exams, which I messed up [except for the java exam].
3. My summer training has started, and I am traveling frequently to Kolkata and then back home every week.
4. The biggest culprit- My modem got damaged after suffering from a lightning discharge which got transmitted by the telephone wire. So I was left without a stable net connection, and rarely came online.
5. I am indolent, erm isn’t that the same as point 1? :-D

Anyways, to take a slight break, no serious topic this time. Will write short reviews on a few books [which I have read recently/am currently reading]. Would like to thank one of my best friends, Girish, for lending them to me.

1. The Double Life of Ramalinga Raju, by Kingshuk Nag[former Times of India editor].

This one is an excellent work compiled by Nag, and gives us a detailed insight into the Satyam Scandal. What were the things that actually went on in Satyam, even years before the news broke out. As the tag line says- ‘How did an IT czar run a $2 billion company to the ground?’ We get to know the entire life history of Raju, and also his family, and the other conspirators who were responsible for this nefarious act. Raju’s lust for acquiring land led to his downfall. Also included- Extensive coverage of Maytas Infra, a real estate company run by Raju’s son. Very highly recommended. Nag has a great writing style. I could not put the book down. I felt I was reading a comic book, and not a book on corporate chicanery.

My score- 8.5 out of 10.

Plus- Great highlights, factual, exhaustive
Minus- Nothing much really, maybe the author could have written a bit more.

2. What the Dog Saw, by Malcolm Gladwell.

Those who are Gladwell followers will possibly have read this one too. This guy is a genius. Period. I have never in my life seen such an accomplished and versatile Non-fiction writer in my entire life. He used to write articles on Business, Medicine, law, etc for the New Yorker magazine[from which the articles in this book are taken] and is now writing books dealing with the intricacies of human behavior. Why do people do the things that they do? Gladwell has further increased my interest in psychology. This book is a collection of different articles which he has written in the past, after doing extensive research. His topics are quite diverse- Why is Heinz still the leader in the Ketchup market? What do hair dyes have to say about women independence? Why should we not hire people who are too-smart? What are the harmful effects of having too much information? What is the art of failure? How can we predict Dog patterns and avoid dog attacks? For what purpose was the birth-control pill invented? How can we hire the right candidate for our job? Who was responsible for the failure of Challenger space-shuttle? Are smart people over-rated?

I guess you got the idea. Go and get the book and unravel the Gladwell magic for yourself. I bet that you will be hooked. Do read his previous books as well if you haven’t already.

Final score- 9.5 out of 10 [sorry, but nothing’s perfect in this world]

Plus- Everything
Minus- Nothing. [Sorry, but am a bit biased towards Gladwell]

3. The High performance Entrepreneur, by Subroto Bagchi:

First of all, let me say that this book is not for everyone[at least that’s how I feel]. If you have no interest in entrepreneurship, the chance is that you may not like this book. Though the author has written it in a very reader friendly approach, and you should have no problem understanding the text. In short, it’s totally non-esoteric. However, I would recommend you skip this one if you have no interest in business, corporate life, etc. This book gives you an insight into setting up a business of your own, ie a profitable company in which you[along with your team-mates] are the boss and you have to make the rules. However, entrepreneurship is a very tricky business and out of every 100 start-ups, just a few are likely to succeed and make it big. This book will give you lots of tips on Do’s and Don’ts and things to keep in mind while setting up an entrepreneurial venture. I have not yet completed the book, but have found it simply amazing. Bagchi has a great and lucid writing style, and tells us a lot about his company, ie Mindtree. He says that the most important characteristic of an entrepreneur is resilience. For an aspiring entrepreneur like me, this book is almost like a Bible.

Rating- 9 out of 10.

Plus- Great guide-book for all budding entrepreneurs. Lots of comprehensive features about the intricacies of setting up a business from scratch.

Minus- Not really recommended for people who have no interest in business, entrepreneurship, etc.

7 Reasons Why Smoking is actually Good!

2010-06-15T21:12:00.002+05:30

NOTE (Important):- This is a sarcastic prose on what troubles you have to face if you are a smoker. I am not encouraging anyone to smoke in any way. In fact, I strongly condemn it [as you shall read in the last paragraph of this post] and urge all of you to stay away from it.

7 Reasons why Smoking is Good for you:

1) Life is so screwed up, and many elderly people don’t receive their pension on time. Their children desert them and they have to spend their time in an old-age home, totally desolate and lonely. But the good news is, you won’t even reach that age. So no tension about post-retirement plans or getting bored stranded in a wheel chair. You will be long gone before that.

2) You know how crowds feel like, right? People cluttered together in large numbers, queues, bus-stops, etc? Well now you have just the ideal solution for this dilemma: Since you are smoking away, few people will dare to come near you. So you will be given plenty of space to move around. Of course that makes you an easier target for the policeman eagerly on the lookout of prey[Note- Bribes], but then everything has its pro’s and con’s right? Oh, and did I mention that all the good looking girls will be keeping a healthy 100-meter gap as well?

3) Remember all the times you wanted to be a daredevil by playing with fire? Well, now’s your chance. Of course there are the occasional finger burns, but nothing can compare with the fire in your lungs can it?

4) Of course you are doing a noble thing. By smoking, not only are you endangering yourself but the lives of others as well. Smoking kills millions of people each other, thus as an optimist smoker would say- ‘We are helping in keeping population under check.’

5) You give the IPCC and the other Climate Control Panels/Boards out there a valid reason to scream and complain against climate change/global warming. You should feel proud to contribute towards pollution discharge. If you were not smoking, we would have low amounts of pollution, and the anti-pollution agencies would be jobless. Never mind the fact that humans and other animals have to pay with their lives. It’s perfectly acceptable.

6) You scream and say- ‘Yeah so what if I smoke? Millions of people smoke all around the globe. All major Hollywood and Bollywood actors do it. It makes me look damn cool.’ Damning it is. I say that millions of people die due to lung cancer every year. You are more than welcome to join the club. And its real cool spending the last moments of your life in a hospital bed unable to breathe is it not? With your lungs burning and gasping for air, and your mouth unable to fathom the taste of food any more. It sure is cool I suppose.

7) Remember the days when you used to give fatuous excuses for bunking classes in school? Well, smoking is an art which makes you the Master of Excuses. Here are some of them- ‘ Well, my friends forced me to do it. I want to quit but am completely addicted now. There’s nothing wrong in smoking a few cigarettes every day. Oh come on for God’s sake- Everyone does it. I can’t concentrate on work unless I have a smoke first.’ Get the idea?

Come on folks, there is NOTHING COOL about dying a miserable death, by indulging in nefarious practices such as smoking. Smoking will not make you more attractive, nor will it help you in any way. Avoid the company of chain smokers as far as possible. We must unite and fight against smoking. Smoking in public places is now a punishable offense under the Indian Penal Code. If you see anyone smoking in bus-stands, restaurants, public transport, etc DO SPEAK up or complain to a law-enforcer. By staying silent, you become a passive smoker yourself. Inhaling the smoke is almost as harmful as smoking yourself. So stop tolerating and start acting.

Relationships, Trust and Betrayal

2010-05-31T15:30:00.004+05:30

*Continued From Previous Post

The hardest thing in the world is not to get entry into an IIT or IIM, but to control one’s emotions. Especially the negative emotions. Its not possible for any living being to get rid of them, but they can definitely be subdued by staying optimistic, thinking and acting positively, and doing scrupulous deeds. Keep yourself in company of optimistic people, who are ready to work for a noble cause, and who believe that there is NO shortcut for success. I guess you must have an idea of why relationships break. Moreover, in recent times, we see that the youth [especially the guys] are not really looking for love and caring. They are looking for trophies [which they euphemistically call girlfriends] that they can display for others to see, and which can satisfy their lust. Of course there are exceptions, but they are far and few in between. They have no shame in changing their trophies when they feel the current one is rusted. In fact, the more they get the better for them. This is their lugubrious mentality.

Most girls look for their ‘Prince in Shining armor’ who will love them and care for them forever. Their weakness is that they are too trusting. Even Count Dracula can come in a ‘Prince Armor’ and pretend to be an Angel[read Ideal Partner]. And it’s quite likely that the girl may fall for such a trick. The real trouble comes when the girl gets exposed to the actual reality. Unfortunately most of the time, she will blatantly refuse to believe that her ‘Prince’ [in reality Dracula] can do any salacious or immoral activity. She will blindly continue to trust him[refusing the advice of others], till he actually dumps her. After that, she will be shocked. ‘How could this happen? He could not have done something like this.’ If only she had opened her eyes sooner, none of this would have happened. Most of the suicides in India happen due to failed love, apart from failed examinations of course.

Okay, so now that you know why relationships break so often, what’s the remedy? Do we stop trusting everyone, isolate ourselves and live alone till we die of loneliness? Obviously not. Just don’t trust anyone and everyone. Try to know a person properly before you give your heart out to him/her. But the Golden Rule is –‘Never take anything[or anyone] for granted.’ That person may be your partner now, but he/she may not be with you tomorrow. Do don’t be over-dependent on anyone. Do not blindly trust others. This does not mean that you don’t love others. Share as much love as you can, but at the same time, be prepared mentally and emotionally for any scenario. If you believe something such as-‘She loves me so much, that she can never leave me no matter what happens’, then you are only living in a Fool’s paradise. People change, and there is nothing you can do about it.

If you are ready to face any situation, it will add on to your advantage. First of all, you will not be shocked if someone betrays you. Definitely it will hurt in the beginning, but you will learn to move ahead with your life. Always remember that life is not about a few individuals alone. The most important step is Forgiveness- it will help you feel better and move on. Do NOT hold grudges against anyone, even if that person has betrayed you for no apparent reason [I know its very much easier said than done, but trust me its worth it]. Do not keep thinking about your past-the broken relations which cannot be mended. Discussing your problems with friends [genuine ones obviously] will always make you feel better. Moreover, remember that it’s just NOT possible to please everyone. There will always be some people who will complain about and criticize your actions and pass lewd comments. These are the people best ignored.

Keep yourself busy with work. It really helps. An Empty Mind is Indeed a Devil’s workshop. If you keep yourself occupied, it’s quite likely you wont keep thinking about your broken relationships. Aim to be altruistic. I find this principle to be quite effective-‘If the problem is only affecting me, then it’s not a problem worth looking at.’ Of course its not true, you should not ignore your problems. But considering that you are just one individual in this world of nearly 7 billion people, your problem [especially if it’s just affecting you] can’t be all that serious, can it?

Finally, you may have a question similar to this one- ‘I did whatever you mentioned. I loved her, gave her everything I could, treated her kindly, with care, gave her loads of gifts, took her to movies, blah blah blah, Yet she still left me. Why did she betray me?’
Alas, as I said earlier, there is no specific answer. Remember that you do not necessarily have to do something Wrong for someone[he/she could have been very close to you] to betray you or leave you. It’s just the subtle intricacies of the human mind, mysterious and inexplicable. You cannot force anyone[neither should you] to do things according to your wish. Similarly you can’t force them to stay with you forever, or love you incessantly.

Thanks a lot for going through this mammoth post. Do share your views and thoughts about this sensitive issue.

Why did I get betrayed by the person whom I trusted the Most?

2010-05-27T15:18:00.004+05:30

So am back again. This time with an uncanny topic- Relationships and betrayals. Am quite sure that most of you must have been in a relationship with someone. Let me clarify that by relationships, I mean the ones between couples or close friends. [Am not considering parent-child,brother-sister,etc relationships in this post] Even if you are single, you must be having [at least a few] close friends on whom you can rely upon at all times. But it’s also quite likely that you have witnessed some gruesome betrayals as well, and they are even more vicarious when they are carried out by the ones whom you trust the most.

You may be on the verge of a nervous breakdown. How could he/she do it to me? I trusted him/her with my life. How could she leave me for another fool who doesn’t even care for her? Why did he do that to me, when I did everything for him? All this and many more questions may be swirling in your mind, demanding answers but getting no replies. So why do people betray us, and how can we deal with such emotions? Why do relationships break? I will try to answer a few such arcane questions with my own personal beliefs.

Okay you have been through a betrayal which has shattered you. First and foremost, do NOT keep blaming the person who did so. Remember the Gospel Truth- Human Beings are Not Gods- they make mistakes and they do things which they should not. Else no-one can explain the growth of crime in contemporary times. Plus there is another thing you should know- Humans are sadistic[Almost all of them]-Believe it. We love hurting others, it makes us feel good[You need proof, go ask any college student what the word ‘ragging’ means]. Plus today pointing fingers at others won’t help, you will just get more fingers pointed at you tomorrow.

Thinking that you cannot hurt or betray anyone is another fallacious thought. You[in fact every human] is capable of betraying, hurting and even killing another, depending on the situation. In fact, there is nothing more complicated than the functioning of the human mind. Its one of those few things Science cannot[at least not yet] fully explain. But know this much, if provoked even a reticent person is capable of genocide. Okay, let us leave the concept of murder for the time being. We were discussing betrayals were we not? So why should our best friend, whom we trusted, betray us? There is no conspicuous answer for this one. There can be many reasons. And it varies according to gender. Females are much more likely to keep quiet about their grievances and later vent out all their frustration at one go. Guys like instant solutions for their problems, even those which need long term investment. Moreover, a girl is much more likely to initiate a break-up than a guy. If betrayed, she is very likely to break all contacts with him. The situation is usually the reverse for males. A guy is not likely to accept a betrayal, and in many cases, will seek revenge. Even if he forgives the girl, he will still not want to break contact. He is more eager to search for a new partner to satisfy his lust. And he usually cannot tolerate ignorance.

Recently, I saw an episode of Crime Patrol, where a Navy Officer shot dead his girlfriend just because she wanted to break-up with him. That too, she had a genuine reason for doing so, since he was already married and had kept that secret hidden from her. He could not bear the ignominy of being rejected, so he took such an extreme step. Did he really love her? Of course not, you do not gun down the persons you love, unless you are mentally retarded or something. He just wanted to possess the hapless girl, so that he could satisfy all his nefarious desires.

So as you can see, there may be innumerable reasons for a person to betray you, irrespective of the fact that he/she is your best friend. The same logic applies to you. You may think that you are the nicest person in the world, but you can still commit crimes as serious as those committed by dictators. Personally, I myself have betrayed and have been betrayed by others. Some people may not desire your company any longer, so they choose to go on their own path. Some people may be frustrated by your behavior but refuse to tell that to you. Others may simply find someone better to replace you [as a couple or best friend], so they ‘move on’.

Jealousy can also be a apposite reason. Say you and are friend are both preparing for a competitive exam say[simplest example]. Say both of you were equally intelligent and equally hard-working in all respects. Yet, for some reason your friend gets into a Top Institute, and you do not. What will you feel? Admiration for your friend? Less likely. Jealousy and envy, that he got it and you did not? Yup, that rings a bell! In that case, it’s very much possible that you distance yourself from him, declaring him to be a subtle villain who is egocentric and does not care about his friends. But is that truly the case? Obviously not, it’s just your negative thoughts playing games with your emotions.

* To be Concluded in the Next post.

Welcome to the Wrong Career!

2010-05-19T15:55:00.002+05:30

Recently, I read an excellent article(In Education Times dated 17/05/2010 ) about career counseling and the wrong career choices made by students. [You can read the article Here ]

Am quoting 3 lines from the article:

‘An IIM graduate gave up her job in McKinsey and now runs a publishing company. ‘

‘A student who opted for chemical engineering completed his studies, but somehow never cleared all the subjects in every semester. ‘

‘A doctor, who had done well in his medical programme, was very clear that he wasn’t keen to practice medicine at all.’

Now what do these 3 lines tell you? That those 3 people were fools? Obviously not. Fools cannot get admission into IIMs for once, and they usually wont perform well in their medical programme. No, it’s just that those people did not really know what career they wanted to pursue. What’s the harm in that, you may ask? In a country where millions of people are illiterate, what difference does it make whether a person becomes an engineer, or a doctor, or whichever career from where he/she can earn the maximum? Well, it does make a difference. It may be a subtle difference, but at the same time, it’s quite imperative as well.

In India, most children do not choose a career path of their own free will. They are mostly influenced(or rather forced) by their parents, peers, relatives, friends, etc. So in most cases, following the norms of the society, a child takes up a path in which he has no interest in. This is because our society looks down at people whose children are not engineers, doctors, lawyers, etc- Ie the traditional streams. Though in recent times, a variety of new courses have opened up[Hotel Management, Hospitality, Forestry, Rural Management, etc], but surprisingly most parents still want their children to continue with the traditional streams, especially those in middle class and lower class backgrounds. The reason for this is also quite obvious- Money. Since India is still a poor country, most people look at education as a panacea, a tool which can get them a job. Every parent will want his child to get a secure job, especially if it’s a necessity. And with just 5% of the Indian population earning more than $10 a day, you can bet that there is a mad rush to get high-paying jobs.

The other obvious reason is status. People want to boast to their neighbors that their wards have got admission in such and such 5 star colleges. Even the student usually targets a institute, not because he wants to really learn anything, but because he knows that he will get instant fame after booking a seat in the institute. This points to a deeper malaise- We have too few good quality institutes, especially for Higher education. Look at the ironical situation- Whereas on one hand, we have thousands of good private schools taking in thousands of students and offering high quality service, on the other hand we have even more number of private colleges offering a lugubrious or dismal service with pathetic conditions. Most students passing out of such colleges do not get a job neither do they learn anything. They just add to the growing un-employment queue. This shows the desperation for obtaining nugatory degrees. Some people sell off their land to get their children admitted in such colleges. And the ROI (Return on Investment) is practically zero. Somehow many fatuous people believe that a degree [Especially an Engineering degree] is all it takes to get a job.

So we have lakhs of students opting for engineering, and around the same number opting for MBA. Why don’t we have an equal number of students entering the Law, Medicine, Sports[Heavily required],Arts, Commerce, Scientific Research[Where India lags behind most countries], Ph.D [We have too few of them], Music, Painting, Archaeology, Core Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biotechnology, R & D, Astronomy [India has just a handful of institutes that offer a course in Astronomy], Manufacturing, Core- Cement, Fertilizers, Power [Solar, Wind, Geothermal, others], etc. I could go on and on, about this demand-supply mismatch but then my post will never finish. We have such a high deficit of trained people in these sectors. Reason- ‘Most people are unable to finish their school, let alone complete college. And the ones who are privileged enough to attend college, end up running blindly after money and annihilating their careers.’

Indirect consequences of the above :
1) Increasing the divide between the poor and the rich.

2) Very few good quality Non-Engineering, Non-MBA colleges coming up. [The Government is only focused on bringing up more IITs, NITs, and IIMs.]

3) Mushrooming of coaching institutes across the country that are fooling people and making the most of this travesty.

4) Non-traditional streams are dying down, since they are not getting a Quality boost.

5) Lack of scientific research and development means there is very little scope in India for genuine students. Even those seriously interested in Science are opting for engineering. This is also the reason why most of the Noble Prize winning Indians live outside their homeland.

The sad thing is that even today most people believe –‘If you are not from an IIT or an IIM, then you are nothing.’

Why do Students Cheat in exams?

2010-05-11T15:42:00.005+05:30

Ah, am back with a bang once more. This time with an interesting topic- Cheating. Before you make any assumption, let me clarify that I shall restrict myself mainly to cheating during examinations. For other types of cheating- in business, relationships, etc all you need to do is switch on your television or go through your daily newspaper.
You shall receive more than a healthy dosage; I can assure you of that.

So basically, why do students cheat in their examinations? I can afford to be succinct here by saying-‘For marks’, but then that will create an aura of nonchalance. Okay, let us admit that fact. Majority of the students cheat so that they can get more marks. For the young, it’s understandable. After all, they face tremendous expectations from their parents, who want them to score as high as possible. But when a child is caught using dubious means, and is reported to his parent, the later usually stubbornly denies the fact. ‘My child can never cheat. I have personally given him many values blah blah’, scorns the parent. Then again, the parent can be condoned as well, for he had probably resorted to similar nefarious means in his childhood.

So does that mean everyone cheats during his/her exam, without bothering about the ramifications? And to what effect? First things first. No, obviously every student does not cheat. But it can be estimated that majority have cheated at some point of their life, and almost all have at least helped their classmates while giving examinations. Is it due to our natural altruistic nature? Far from it. Its mainly because we are afraid of being ostracized. If someone refuses to disclose the answers, he is considered as a rude and boisterous selfish fellow, unwilling to help his classmates. Most people do not consider cheating as a sin; in fact they enjoy the thrill they get from it. On the contrary, many take it as a challenge so that they can boast to their friends- ‘Guess what, I managed to copy 20 marks in my Maths exam.’ ‘Only 20? I emulated half the paper from XYZ.’

Sometimes the reason for cheating is genuine. The student may not have prepared anything for his paper. He may be lackadaisical or simply too indolent to open his books and prepare for his exam. He usually remarks that he does not get the time to study. But he got sufficient time to prepare chits to stuff in his pockets. The student may be afraid of failing in his exam. But he does not realize that resorting to unfair means is in fact, a much bigger failure. He may manage to pass, but he will learn nothing. Its better to fail and try again, than to remain a true failure. But just mention the E word, and everyone, right from the student to the parent gets into a frenzy.

They say everything is fair in love, war and examinations. Unfortunately most people have taken this seriously. Let me demonstrate a few situations when a person resorts to cheating:

1) The invigilator is a lethargic person, and does not bother to do his job. Naturally the students get intrigued. It starts off with a casual-‘Hey what’s the answer to ques 4)b’ and then carries on till the student manages to copy every word, usually not even bothering to change the sentence construction. If he is caught, in all probability he will stubbornly deny it, and try to blame the other person. It’s the natural denial tendency almost everyone possesses.

2) In case a person is not sure of his own answer, he tends to verify it from his neighbors. The thing is, we always assume that the other person is right. Moreover if many people write the same answer, and even if it is wrong, we tend to believe that’s probably correct. It’s a typical case of inferiority complex, where the other person always has the better thing. In this case, it may be the answer to a complicated question.

3) Finally, it’s to show the team spirit one possesses, by involving everyone in a mutual discussion. Except of course that discussion is more deadly than helpful.

Cheating can yield short term results, but is very derogatory in the long run. The student will keep procrastinating studying, with the usual remark-‘I will surely prepare well from next time. This time I just have to pass somehow, anyhow.’

Unfortunately, most of us think only about the short terms. The students don’t even know why they are studying and/or cheating. Its high time we guided them towards a better future. They must be made aware of the negative consequences of cheating and the importance of integrity and ethics. But when the children see the grown ups doing unethical things, its no wonder they are inclined towards bad habits.

We are a marks+degree hunger nation. Its time for us to shift our priorities from ‘marks’ to knowledge. We should aim to do something creative, innovative and research oriented rather than fatuously running after marks.

Short Story: The Conversation Part 2

2010-04-29T21:26:00.000+05:30

Nikita decided to go forward with the discussion.

‘So what do you do? Work somewhere?’

‘Yeah, I am a Financial Analyst,’ came the terse reply.

‘Erm, what does a Finance whatever do??’

‘A financial analyst or investment analyst is a person who performs financial analysis for external or internal clients as a core part of the job. Basically we study details about companies and arrive at an estimate of their financial values.’

‘Uh, whatever that all sounds like Greek to me. Do you have any hobby as such?’

‘Loads of them. But if I have to choose one, it will be reading.’

‘Reading? As in books?’

‘Yes. But apart from that I also like reading people.’

‘What the… How can you read people? You mean like reading minds? Are you a psychopath?’

‘I think you mean telepath, and not psychopath. Anyways I do not possess any supernatural powers. I just like analyzing people and their behavior.’

‘Such as? Analyze me and tell me what you find.’

‘I have done so already. You are sad, angry, frustrated by the fact that you were dumped and also flabbergasted at my apparent lack of interest in you.’

Nikita stood still akin a statue. She was clearly impressed by Rajesh astuteness.

‘Why do you speak so bluntly and abruptly? It sounds rude. Why can’t you add more emotions to your sentences and be a bit more amiable?’

‘Sorry if I sound that way, but this is the way I am. No pretense. I guess I will go outside for some air.’

Saying this Rajesh got up. It was at that moment that Nikita noticed that he was wearing a gold necklace. Apparently it had missed her attention previously.

‘Why are you wearing such a girly necklace anyways?’ inquired Nikita in a greasy tone.

‘Oh just like that. Wanted to try out something different.’

‘Why don’t you try out the new men’s fairness cream that has hit the market?’ Nikita smiled impishly.

‘It wont suit my skin,’ for the first time Rajesh smiled and left the compartment.

He returned after a few minutes.

‘I apologize for earlier. I guess you must be feeling bad after the break-up and all,’ Rajesh began.

‘Bad? I feel horrible. I can’t tell you how I feel right now. But thanks for asking,’ replied Nikita.

‘No problem. But I am sure you will get over it,’ smiled Rajesh. ‘By the way, I will be getting off at the next stop. Change of plan.’

‘That was sudden. Have to meet someone somewhere?’

‘Sort of. I guess you should let go of the past. It will only hurt you more if you continue thinking about him.’

‘I don’t know if I can. I loved him a lot, you know? There was hardly a moment I spent away from him. We used to exchange dozens of smses each day, would take over the phone hours on end, chat on Gtalk whole day long…’

‘Yeah, the usual stuff. All couples say the same thing,’ blurted Rajesh in a sarcastic tone.

‘Excuse me; you don’t know anything about us. It’s very important to stay connected for a relationship to prosper.’

‘Yes, but why on the phone or the internet. Is it not better to go for a walk or for a dinner party say once every week? Time management is crucial. You should not mollycoddle your partner beyond the critical point.’

‘Rubbish. You need to profess your love continuously in order to attract your partner’s attention. Else he may think you are ignoring him.’

‘Isn’t that what most girls resort to? Ignoring their boyfriends when they are morose?’

‘That’s enough. You are acting like a male chauvinist. I will not have any more of your nonsense. You do not have any idea on sustaining a relationship.’

‘Nice words, from someone who could not even sustain her own.’

Nikita felt as if a lightning bolt had hit her. She had no comment to refute Rajesh’s statement. But at the same time she did not want to admit it. Tears sprang up in her eyes once more.

‘I guess I will be leaving now. My destination has almost arrived,’ saying this Rajesh got up from his seat and started moving towards the door.

‘You can never understand the pain of being left alone. You never had a partner, you can never know what I went through,’ Nikita sobbed.

Rajesh turned towards her and spoke.

‘On the contrary, yes, I did have a girlfriend. We were very close. Would probably have been married by now if things had gone right.’

‘Things had gone right? What do you mean? Did she dump you as well? You deserved it.’

‘Not really. She’s dead. Was killed by a mobster last month. Apparently that guy had a fascination for this gold necklace which I had given her.’

Saying this Rajesh left the compartment.

Short Story: The Conversation-Part 1

2010-04-23T21:37:00.001+05:30

Okay, time for another short story. This time, I will refrain from using any sort of sarcasm or subtle humor. The story will be basic, and uncomplicated. So here I begin, hope you will like it.

The compartment S-42 had just one person in it. Not surprising, since it was a first class compartment and the train had just left the station. Nikita was in a disheveled state. Her hair had become loose and untidy, and the tears had spoiled most of her make-up. Struggling to compose herself, she wiped her face with her silk handkerchief and finally took her seat. Sitting directly opposite to her, a man of around her age was busy reading a paperback. Apparently he hadn’t even bothered to give her a second look. Now this was a bit of an unforeseen situation for Nikita. She was not used to being ignored. Rather most men would have found her extremely attractive and comely. Few could have resisted complimenting her pulchritude. However this young man had ostensibly decided that a book was a much better companion than a beautiful lady.

Nikita tied her loose hair with a clip and decided that she had had enough. ‘Excuse me,’ she remarked. ‘Are you going to Delhi as well?’

‘Yes’. The man did not even look at her.

‘Quite the laconic fellow isn’t he?’ thought Nikita. Nevertheless, she decided to be courteous.

‘Hello, my name is Nikita and I am a professional dancer. I guess we will be sharing this compartment tonight, so we might know each other better. So can you tell me something about yourself?’ She forced a smile.

‘I am Rajesh, and what is your problem?’

Nikita was flabbergasted. ‘Uh, what problem? What do you mean?’

‘Isn’t it obvious? You have been crying. What happened? A fight with your boyfriend?’

Nikita paused for a moment. Whoever this guy was, he was no fool. At least he was a good observer all right.

‘Yes, he dumped me for another boisterous girl. She was my room-mate. And she stabbed me in the back,’ she said in a low tone.

‘Isn’t it usually the other way around? Girls dump their partners all the time.’

‘Excuse me. You don’t know anything about me. You have no right to make any comment about my personal matter.’

‘If you say so,’ replied Rajesh and went back to his book.

Nikita could hardly believe her eyes. This guy wasn’t even interested in her personal life. And to think she knew a bunch of perverts who were dying for her personal details.

To be Continued.

A Business Called Education!

2010-04-16T22:00:00.001+05:30

Well, ever heard of a Business called ‘Education?’ Yes, you read it correctly, education as a business for rapacious businessmen, just looking to enhance their gargantuan income by nefarious means, in order to lead an opulent lifestyle. The sad thing is, not many people are aware of this. And the ones, who are, simply do not bother. After all, what difference does it make? Everyone wants to make money nowadays, and if it’s for a noble cause, in the field of education, what is the harm? The catch is that the cause is not as munificent as one may believe.

Many centuries ago, India was once considered as the central hub for education. We had an amicable teacher-student relationship, or the Guru-Shishya rishta. The Gurus would guide the student towards the path of enlightenment, and would teach him to identify the right from the wrong. India had erudite scholars in the fields of Arts, Science, Mathematics, Philosophy and even Astronomy. Whether it be Vedic Learning, or the Gurukul System, the education system in India was second to none. We had the famous Takshila University, an epitome for learning. So how come our Education system deteriorated so much, such that at present we are unable to give even primary education to most of our children? Not to mention the negligent progress made in Science & Technology, Research, etc when compared to the other developed countries? And most importantly, why does not a single Indian Educational Institute figure in the top 100 Global List?

Yes, it is true that we have suffered many cutbacks and faced numerous impediments when it comes to education. The yearly budget set for education was less than 1 percent of the GDP just a few years back. We have too few seats, and far too many eligible students. And most of them belonged to the destitute category, unable to get admission in a private school. The condition of government schools has remained lugubrious, and they are little more than dilapidated buildings. Add to that the additional woe of acute faculty shortage and you have a recipe for disaster. It is estimated that there is a shortage of more than 12 lakh teachers at the primary school level itself. And the competition to get into the elite institutions is so severe, that just a handful of outstanding students make it, and the rest shift into depression mode. Two things happen to them, either they take admission in a mediocre or below average college, or they commit suicide. No wonder the student suicide rate is escalating like anything, in India.

Enter the businessman, who has been looking over the entire scenario for the past few decades. What he notices is that most Indians are ready to give anything for obtaining an educational degree, which has become more of a social status than ever before. So what does the greedy businessman do? He sets up a host of private colleges throughout the country, catering to the need of the degree starved bourgeois class. Currently it is mostly the middle class people who are making a dash for such nugatory institutions, but the colleges have also grabbed the attention of the poor class. People believe that obtaining a degree will guarantee them a job, and hence money to meet their daily expenses. But, unfortunately the truth is almost always bitter. In 9 cases out of 10, the colleges just provide degrees and nothing else. Infrastructure is in a dismal condition, and there is a severe deficit of trained teachers cum lecturers. And such businessmen actually maintain a high class profile by proclaiming that they are spreading knowledge, while actually all they are doing is befooling people, and minting money. Such a fraudulent technique is, unfortunately legal.

One may ask, if people are aware of this sham, then why are they not raising their voice and doing anything about it? The truth is, they firmly believe in the slogan ‘Degree Hai to Sab Kuch Hai’(If we have a degree, we have everything). Hardly anyone goes into college because he/she wants to gain knowledge, or because he/she has genuine interest in his/her specialization. People opt for higher education, mainly for two factors: 1) To get a job and 2) Status. The later comes handy while publishing matrimonial advertisements. Nowadays everyone wants to get his son/daughter married to someone who has a degree (even if it’s a fake one) so that he can proudly boast-‘Mera beta to Engineer hai. Meri Bahu to doctor hai.’ (My son is an engineer, and my daughter-in-law is a doctor). Though the guy may not even know the spelling of Engineering, and the doctor wife may do her patients a favor by not treating them. The reason for this is that the large number of private colleges has greatly reduced the Quality Factor necessary for a person to gain true professional skills required by the industry. The businessmen are not concerned about the welfare of the students. They will charge exorbitant fees for providing degrees, and they know that there is a horde of fatuous people who would gladly mortgage their own house to get their children admitted into such useless institutes, thinking that they will get a better investment after the child gets a job. But, alas, all that their children can do after obtaining the degree is to add to the ever growing mass of unemployed youth.

According to a NASSCOM survey, around 75% of Engineers in our country do not have the necessary skills required to work in an industry. So after spending such a huge amount of money, what return do they (the people) get? Almost zero, one can say. The quality of technical institutes has diluted like anything, and this nefarious education business is expanding day by day. What can be done to avoid this? For once, check out the credibility of the institute before taking admission into it. Do not go by the cheap publicity offered, or by the specious promises (usually related to placements) made by that institute’s management. Secondly, do not opt for higher education just for money. Try to develop some real pragmatic skills, and focus on knowledge building. That will surely help you in the long run.

Some Entrepreneurs and NGO’s are working assiduously to provide high quality education for all. One of them is an IIM-Ahmedabad alumnus named Vardan Kabra, the creator of Fountainhead school. A very prominent NGO working for educational development of underprivileged children is Pratham. Both of them have helped thousands of children across the country gain access to education. But still, a lot remains to be done. Now with education becoming a fundamental right, we should demand Quality as well. Just creating more money grabbing buildings in the name of spreading knowledge will simply not do. Public-Private Partnerships(PPPs) can also help in this regard. The private sector can provide good quality infrastructure and remunerations for the teachers, and the Government can accord job safety and a cap on collusions.

We can definitely make India a World Renowned Educational Hub once again.

Engineers dominating at Bschools

2010-04-12T13:05:00.001+05:30

*Continued from the previous post:

So I had discussed 2 reasons for ‘Engineers dominating at Bschools’ in my last post. In this post, I shall elucidate a few more.

See, there is a psychological reason for this. We all want to do what our friends/peers are doing. This is due to an ersatz sense of security. We do not want to take any risk by doing something different from others. If one sees that most of his friends are doing engineering, and then MBA, he/she will automatically want to do the same. The student believes-‘So many people are doing it. Obviously there has to be something good about it.’ So he also gets into the rat race without knowing where it ends. Only after he has completed his MBA does he realize his mistake- that he failed to take an independent decision. Wrong decisions can be career threatening. The main problem is that people sacrifice their passion, and get into a line which is totally un-suited to them.

Engineers can easily manage both the QA and VA part, whereas Non-engineers who are good in English struggle in the QA/DI part. This is a well known truth. It is generally seen that most people take up engineering even if they don’t like it. So they usually get fed up of their subjects quite soon. They believe that MBA is their savior, the degree which will get rid of their misery, so they blindly run after it, without bothering to even know what an MBA really is. Heard of the hackneyed phrase-‘History repeats itself?’ The same thing happens again, and he gets fed up of studying business, thinking that he will get into whichever job which pays the most. He gets into any XYZ job, and after that starts hating it as well, criticizing everyone from his boss to this colleagues. Why did all of this happen? Simple, he chose to quench the innate talent which he had, and instead chose a path which did not belong to him. If he had done something which he genuinely liked, and not done something which others were doing, he would have been successful and happy [Terms and Conditions applied].

The main problem is that India is still a poor country, and most people will not feel like following their interest or nurturing their passion, if they can’t even feed themselves and their family. So money always comes first. Education, for them [majority of the people], is just a medium to get a job, and nothing else. This is why so many of them aim for the IITs and IIMs, thinking that their future will get secured, since those institutions guarantee jobs for all their students. We have to change this thinking philosophy. Education should be pursued for developing one’s own knowledge database, and then working on one’s interests, and not for getting placements only. You may be interested in Photography, Martial Arts, Sports, etc, but if you choose to get into the rat race [primarily Engineering and MBA], only for money/job, in the long run you will end up as just another loser. But of course, you need to work assiduously if you want to achieve something. Always remember-‘A shortcut to success will cut your life short’. [I made this phrase-impromptu]

Thanks again, folks. See ya.

Why do Top Bschools have an 'Engineering' Majority!

2010-04-08T14:00:00.002+05:30

All right, here is a very popular topic- Why do top Bschools in India lack in background diversity, and are monopolistically(No such word actually exists) dominated by Engineers? I am going to give a few reasons for this(There are many I know, but I wont cover all).

First and foremost, most MBA entrance exams are heavy on Maths. In fact 2/3rd of CAT is essentially Mathematics(including LR and DI). So a sound base in Mathematics becomes very essential, for MBA aspirants. And most good(I stress on this word) engineers will be proficient in Mathematics(after all, its one of the most important subject for them). Especially those in top engineering colleges, will be constantly dealing with stuff related to Math(almost in every respect).

Its not that all engineers are good in Quantitative Aptitude(QA). Many are not good in it, but the reverse is usually not true. There are very few non-engineers who can compete with, say an IITian in Mathematics. Most Olympiad medal holders are engineers. They do not opt for Research in Mathematics, or BSC/MSC, simply because an engineering degree holds much more value. So how can you expect non-engineers to compete with their counterparts who can solve QA sums in the same time you batter an eye-lid?

Secondly, it is a well known fact, that in India all the good students opt for Engineering. Whether they actually like it or not is irrelevant. Its the degree and brand name of the college which matters more. So say, a student scores very high in his class 10th board exams, everyone will encourage him to take Science and then engineering, even if he is interested in Arts or Commerce. Plus after that student takes up Science, there is a 95% probability that he is going to join some ABC engineering college in future. Because basic sciences do not attract them, and medical seats are too few in number. So we have the category of wanted-to-be-a-doctor, ended-up-as-an-engineer category of people.

*To be Continued.

As pointed out to me by my friends, I am going to keep my posts short from now on. So will split long posts into multiple posts. :)

Testing..

2010-04-02T13:49:00.002+05:30

My blog has been infected by the bX error. Is there anything I can do to get rid of this idiotic error?

Being Fair!

2010-03-31T22:03:00.003+05:30

Not too long back(or was it?) I had written an article on racism. This topic is a bit similar to that. Its about our(ie Indians) obsession with becoming fair, in the literal sense of course. Why is everyone so desperate to be fair? Why does almost every bachelor in the country desire a fair, beautiful, slim, good-looking bride? What’s wrong with being dark and not-so-good-looking? Lots, I must say. Let’s have a detailed look into it.

First of all, it has been statistically proved that being white and good looking increases your chances of grabbing a job. Say you are a dark complexioned woman, with average looks. Chances are that your interviewer will get a negative first impression on seeing you for the first time. This impression comes from within (its natural psychology) and you can do little to change it. The reason for this is our sensory perception. Anything fair and ostensibly good-looking directly affects our nerve impulses and generates a positive stimulus. Am not going to go into the esoteric biological details of sensory perception (My biology sucks in any case). The bottom-line is that Fair/White/Handsome/Beautiful is in; Dark & Average Looks is out. You can say that Beauty lies in the Eye of the Beholder. Very true! But in 9 cases out of 10[in General], white means beautiful, dark implies ugliness.

What can the reason for this be? Perhaps 200 years of British dominance made the pliable hoi-polloi believe that the White leader was the Supreme Lord, and that if you were exceedingly fair, you could do practically anything you wanted. You would rule and dominate others, and make them dance to your tunes. And maybe this thought embedded itself deep into the mind of most Indians, even after the British left us. Moreover, due to the recent Western impact, and the advent of Globalization, the current youth started emulating the west. Many people embraced American and European culture, their language, food, clothing, style of living, and even accents. They wanted to look like Americans as well, and in this aspect, Caucasians in particular. The ubiquitous white foreigner who can achieve anything with the snap of a finger. Blacks were largely ignored and ostracized, not only in USA, but in majority of the other countries as well(South Africa for example). Thus the common misconception spread: Blacks were venal humans, who were nefarious criminals. All bad deeds were committed by them. And the Whites were the heroes, the protectors. Racism dominated the Hollywood industry. Almost all leading protagonists were whites (there were a few notable exceptions- Sydney Pollack, Samuel Jackson, etc-but a minority), and most criminals(especially mafia gang members and prisoners) were black. The same quip got repeated- ‘White is Good. Non-white is Nugatory.’

Suddenly, Indians(descendants of the oldest and the most diversified civilization) became frantically obsessed with fairness. Fairness cream industries bloomed, and till today fool customers into thinking that applying pastes on their faces can actually make them fairer. A recent study has shown that prolonged usage of such creams (which contain pernicious chemicals) can cause unmitigated skin damage. Some people cover their bodies from head to toe-with talcum powder, with the false belief that it makes them look fairer. Instead it gives them a ghastly appearance, to say the least. Chetan Bhagat has perspicaciously highlighted this fact in his 4th novel- Two States. I am quite sure you are aware of his thoughts.

The worst part of this has to do with marriage. As I have mentioned before, take up any newspaper and look at the Matrimonial section. ‘Wanted- Fair, beautiful, slim, attractive bride for so and so. Must be tall and white…’ I must say, are they looking for life-partners or Trophies to be set and kept for display- ‘Come, have a look at my trop… er Wife, isn’t she beautiful?’ What is this, if not hubris? True love has no boundaries. If you feel that you only want a partner who is white, slim, tall, blah blah.. forget it, you can never find love that way. Physical looks do matter a lot, but most of it is psychological.

If we see a white foreigner, we tend to go into an eccentric frenzy. We consider white celebrities as Gods and Goddesses, and nearly every man desires to have someone like Angelina Jolie[need I mention she is Caucasian?] as his partner. Whereas people tend to ridicule persons who have a dark-complexioned wife. Recently one man committed suicide due to the fact that people used to taunt him over his wife’s looks. Such travesties need to be precluded as early as possible.

Our skin color is a God-given gift (Okay it depends on genes as well). Why must we make such a hullabaloo over it? Clearly, if someone is brown or black, does it make him any less adroit or worthy than a white person? Do we really need to make this squalid distinction over race and color? I do not think so. All human beings are equal, and they deserve to be treated that way, irrespective of their skin color. It’s high time that we learnt our lesson. Rather than purchasing useless creams, it is better for us to hone our personality and develop constructive skills, which will enable us to become a better, empathetic human being.

The Big Fat(Rather Obese) Indian Wedding.

2010-03-21T21:54:00.004+05:30

Warning: It is plausible that certain individuals may not like the comments I will make in this article, which deals with marriage. If you are a conservative person who considers marriage very sacred, then it is advised that you do not go through this article.

I would like to start off by saying that whatever I am writing in this article is my personal view, and not a general opinion of people.

Marriages are made in heaven. Would you agree? Heaven or hell, does it make a difference? In all possibility the environment post marriage will resemble both heavenly and hell-like situations. So what is the purpose of marriage? Is it to unite two souls(don’t take me too literally) so that they can live together for the rest of their life? So that they can raise children and live a happy life? So that they can create a bond of love and compassion? Or is it simply to fulfill their parents and society’s wishes?

First of all, psychologically every human being needs a partner to lead a happy and satisfactory life. This is also to satisfy their mental and physical desires. The concept of marriage was started thousands of years ago, and it gained prominence in India, more than in any other country. Marriage is still considered a sacred ritual of ever lasting commitment. People spend lavishly and exorbitantly during marriages. They invite all their relatives and friends, and celebrate the event quite pompously. But over the years, the original purpose of marriage is dwindling and losing its effect. Rarely do people marry for love or satisfaction. In fact love marriages are still frowned upon by many.

A father will consider his duty to get his son or daughter married, preferably in a well to do family. But is he really doing so for the child’s welfare? Not always. In many cases the child is married off forcibly, someplace which makes him/her uncomfortable. No wonder 1 out of every 5 marriage ends up in a divorce. Plus as per the orthodox customs related to marriage, the religion, caste, etc is checked and matched before the wedding date is decided. I do not believe in astrology, and I don’t understand why religion and caste should matter in marriage. Obviously, if a Muslim girl cannot adjust with a Hindu boy, that’s understandable. But that’s rarely the case, and it is seen that most Indians prefer to marry within their own community [same religion, caste, status, etc]. If two persons can remain happy, staying with one another, religion should not act as an impediment.

Next, we come to the opulent spending during marriages. The event is un-necessarily given too much importance, wasting excessive time in celebrations. We like to disrupt the entire traffic to make way for our marriage procession, including the boisterous band-wallahs. Then of course comes the actual wedding party. Nobody is really interested in either the bride or groom [Though of course they love to criticize their physical features- ‘Look, he is so short and fat. She has a bent nose and dark complexion’] but they scamper to the food stalls as soon as they set their eyes upon them. In earlier times, the dinner consisted of simple, typical Indian food. Nowadays, you can choose amongst Indian, Chinese, European cuisine along with a host of items from Veg to Non-Veg. You can stuff yourself as much as you want, though you should make an appointment with your doctor previously. There are many people who simply go to the parties for the food, and nothing else. And with so many people turning up[a single family can have over 500 relatives from across the globe], nobody gives a damn about anyone or what is actually happening. The poor groom and his bride have to sit in one position and endure the entire travesty that’s going on.

Why do we need so many customs and rituals for a simple process? Why can’t two individuals take vows in silence and then live together in peace? In such a scenario, court marriages serve a better purpose.

As I have said before, I myself do not believe in marriage. I also don’t think I can spend my entire life with one person. And I find nothing wrong with people living together without marrying. If they love each other, what’s the harm? In India, people consider having children without marriage to be a blasphemous and an iniquitous act. Whereas it is a normal practice in the US. Thus marriage becomes a pre-requisite for having children, which is another reason why it is considered to be so important here. Anybody who dares to raise his/her voice by protesting against marriage is often ostracized or even made an outcast. And we have heard of so many crimes[Like murder of the groom] resulting due to marriages which take place between members of two different religions, castes, or even separate villages.

My ideal scenario would be- If two persons like each other, they can stay with each other, love each other, and sleep with each other, without any external interference whatsoever. Whether they want to marry or not, should be left to them, and not their parents or relatives or society members or anyone else. Maybe then, the soaring divorce cases and marriage related crimes will reduce.

A visit!

2010-03-15T15:13:00.003+05:30

*Personal.

Yeah I admit I have not been blogging much. Anyways, this is a trivial post. I visited an engineering college last week. Now you might say whats so great about that? Especially since there are thousands of (mostly useless) engineering colleges in our country. But then I am writing this just out of fun. Read away: I decided to visit the college canteen at around 3 pm, to have my lunch. The following is the dialogue which took place between me and a man(who takes the order).

I: Excuse me, what is available?

Man(In a Shocked and Bewildered Expression) : You mean to Eat??

I(To Myself): To eat? What do people come to canteen for? Oh I forgot, its for having gossips, spreading rumours, cracking silly jokes, and playing Counter Strike on their laptops(a Team was firing away to my left).

I(aloud): Yes, something to eat. What is available?

Man : I don't know. Let me go inside and check. [Goes inside. I decide to follow him]

[Inside the kitchen]:

Man: Hey, what food is available now?

Cook[With an annoyed and dull expression]: Nothing. Chow is finished, and plates need to be washed.

Man: Oh. Okay. [And walks away without even giving me a second glance]

I go to the man and repeat my question.

Man: Sorry, we do not have anything. Please come back after Half an hour.

[45 mins later]

Man: Sorry, but we only have tea. We are getting the food ready. Cook is chopping vegetables, and is ready to fry pakoras. Please return in an hour.

[One hour later]:

I stand in front of the canteen gate, which has a rusted 'Link' Lock on it.

My Thoughts: @^@#$*^&#@$^*#@^$*&#@$^&*...............

Here is another conversation with a student and myself:

Student: Excuse me, you are from which college?

I: ...........

Student: Okay, are you enjoying our Fest?

I: So and so..

Student: Please be frank. The fest is disastrous and boring, is it not?

I: [blank expression]

Student: Would you care to join us for a round of Marijuana?

I: [Shocked, thinking that I had lost my hearing ability] Err, what did you say?

Student: Don't you smoke weed? Want to join us?

I: [recovering somewhat] No, I don't.

Student: [smiles broadly and leaves]

My Thoughts: #@!^&$@!#%$&#@!^$&#@&$#@&@&#$@ ..........................

Needless to say, I had a pretty harrowing experience that day. Anyways you do get to meet and interact(though not always willingly) with different people though.

Something Unique!

2010-03-08T15:20:00.001+05:30

*Personal

Well, I was about to write a detailed post on the Ethical Hacking workshop which I attended at NIT, Durgapur, which was conducted by Mr. Sunny Vaghela(Professional Hacker and Director of Techdefence), but I changed my mind. I decided that I did not want to write technical blog posts. That’s a bit ironical, coming from a guy pursuing CSE.

Anyways, rather I will be focusing on myself, after a while. Often I think or ratiocinate- is their anything special, or unique about myself? I have met many persons having extra-ordinary talents, be it in the field of dancing, singing, writing, hacking, speaking, etc. And every now and then I wonder- Do I have any special skills which other people do not have(at least the majority)? Can I boast that I am uniquely adroit and dexterous? Or am I just a common, average human being with no USP whatsoever.

After a lot of mind scratching, I have settled down on two basic things(rest are too personal to disclose here, am sorry). I will be writing about both of them in detail. And both of them are related to celerity. If you feel that I am just boasting about myself, just try to bear it. But I promise to be veracious.

First is my typing speed. I can type at a speed of over 100 wpm[WORDS PER MINUTE]. Though that’s not a very big deal(you can test your typing speed using a software for the same, or even online) but I feel that’s my USP, and I can safely get over 99 percentile in a National Practical Typing Test competition. Hehe. Perhaps the Government or a Private Company, or even an Institution should launch such an event. In case you get to know about any typing event, do contact me please. Just in case you were interested to know, the World record for typing is around 172 WPM.

Now you might say- ‘What’s so great about your typing speed? And even if it’s so fast, so what?’ Do you want to be a clerk or typist or something? Well, it’s nothing much obviously. Its not a very great talent or something. It’s just one of my abilities. But here’s the catch- Till date I have not met a single person who can type faster than I can. Feel that you can beat me? Go measure your typing speed in any legitimate software and then report it to me.

Moreover, I can type without looking at the keyboard at a speed of around 80 wpm. And I can even type with my eyes closed at an amazing accuracy of over 95 percent(ie very few spelling mistakes). Think you can beat all of that? You are free to try.

Now for my second ability- My Reading Speed. I told you before- both of my special abilities have to do with speed. I can read at an average reading speed of over 800 wpm. That is to say that I can finish an average newspaper editorial within 2-3 minutes. Most people will take anywhere between 10-15 mins to do the same. Though, here I must say that to read a passage very carefully, I have to slow down, and my speed falls to around 550 wpm. I am not estimating or guessing my speed, I have actually measured it using a stopwatch. In the Worst case, when I am reading a very boring and dull article[In my case it can be PURE Politics or anything related to Biology], and I am told to retain whatever has been said, my reading speed may fall to 350-400 WPM. A person who does not read too much has an average reading speed of 200 WPM. People from non-english background schools usually have a lower reading speed of around 150 WPM. A person who reads something(it can be a newspaper or magazine also) everyday will usually have a reading speed of around 300 WPM. In comparison to that, I, a self-confessed bookworm have a decently high reading speed.

And just in case you are curious, I have to read(its an addiction) at least 2 books(not fully obviously), 2 magazines and 2 newspapers everyday. But I would not advise anyone else to do the same(ie become a book-worm). You should give equal emphasis on sports and extra-curriculars as well.

Anyways, I shall end it here now. Enough self-boasting done, lol. Thanks again, guys and gals, for reading my posts.

Why can't you just Shut Up?

2010-02-26T15:48:00.001+05:30

Well, this is one issue which I had wanted to write about for long, and its something which has always interested me- GDs.

What is a Group Discussion?? Okay, okay, don’t close the page, this is NOT a post which gives you a general discussion about GDs. You can get that in any magazine, which claims to be the Number 1 magazine in India. What this post will refer to, is how a GD can get screwed, courtesy- the Over-enthusiastic participants.

What happens when a GD gets too chaotic? Where everyone chirps in at once, each trying to outdo the other? Simple, we get a total mess, and the whole team or group gets negative points. In the worst case, the entire group may get eliminated and not a single person may get chosen(for the job/Bschool/etc).

Surely, that’s not what your objective is, right? After all, if you are an MBA aspirant, you would certainly want to give your best shot in a GD. So why does it happen that things go haywire? There are many reasons. Namely tension/nervousness, fear of getting trodden over by others(left behind), ego problem, over-excitement, etc.

Let us look at them one by one. Am leaving out the first point, since it’s quite obvious. Now, a situation might arise where you feel that you are not getting a chance to speak. So what do you do? Two choices, either you keep quiet, or you try to butt in. If you choose the later, again you get two choices, you can do so politely, or you can do so loudly and rudely. More often than not, one opts for the later. He may even tell the other person to shut up so that he can speak, or he can vehemently criticize and interrupt someone while he/she is in the middle of his talk. This is seen as a very negative trait and it should be avoided. Its better not to speak at all, rather than openly criticize and ridicule someone else. Starting an argument with someone midway, for the purpose of undermining him/her is just another distraction.

Of course, that does not mean, that you keep your mouth glued shut. In an ideal GD, you will get your turn to speak for an allotted time. However, in most GDs, it is seen that people start speaking at random, rarely giving the other person a chance to speak. Worse, many people keep speaking at the same time, so the GD becomes synonymous with a fish market type scenario. If somebody is speaking, it’s better to let him/her finish before you start. And if you feel he/she is speaking for too long, you can try interrupting politely with a ‘Excuse me, but since we are running out of time, we should give everyone a chance to speak, before we conclude’, or a similar remark.

Always remember, that you need to highlight your leadership qualities while speaking in a GD. And by leadership qualities, I do not mean that You should keep speaking all the time, and give others no chance to speak. This will only show that you are unfit to work in a team, since you prefer to do everything by yourself. If there is someone who has not yet spoken, or is feeling shy/uncomfortable, encourage him/her to come forward and speak.

And NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, ALWAYS KEEP CONTROL OVER YOUR EMOTIONS. Else you are a Goner, trust me! If you loose your temper, start using slangs, or abusing your team-mates, I needn’t complete the sentence. Do not take any firm stance, such as, ‘You are completely wrong and ignorant. I oppose you totally…’, etc.
Keep your ego in check. No matter what the other person says or does, you must maintain your cool. Even if you totally disagree with him/her. You can always disagree in a polite manner by saying, ‘Of course your point has some significance. However, if we see this from a different view…’

What we forget is that a Group needs to work together to achieve its goal, even though the participants are competing against each other. That is what the company/recruiter looks for. Think, rationalize, and speak when you get the chance. Or rather take the chance. Its always good to make a nice overall impression, even if you run short on points. Try to think differently and put forward a few unique or even abstract ideas- that will earn you bonus points.

I guess I will end here now. Will post more on GDs in future. Thanks for reading, folks.

Let the Light Burn!

2010-02-22T19:07:00.002+05:30

All right, I have had it. I just cant take it any more. Today's parents need some serious counseling. The following extract from yesterdays Telegraph newspaper will make it clear(note, I have shortened the original article):

'...The 21 year old engineering student hanged herself yesterday because she wasnt doing well in her studies. Pragati Singh wanted to study commerce but her widowed mother wanted her to be an engineer, police said. It was the 32nd suicide by a student in Uttar Pradesh since January 20........ Cities like Lucknow, Allahabad, Kanpur and Varanasi recorded the highest number of student suicides, the report said.
.... She wanted to study commerce and felt she was losing out on a career....'

Dozens of students are committing suicide each day. Throughout the country. And nobody is doing anything about it. Everyone is blaming the system for this, but at the end of the day, the suicides continue unabated.

In this post, I will only be posting the parental pressure aspect, even though there may be hundreds of reasons for a person to commit suicide. Parental pressure is a prominent reason. When a child fails to meet the expectations of his/her parents, he feels stigmatized and gets a strong inferiority complex, so much so that he loses interest in everything, including living. He/she considers that suicide is the only option open to him. Parents are to blame for a very large extent for failing to understand the psychology of the kid. All they want is an outstanding performance in studies, sports, extra-curriculars, forcing the kid to do something which he does not want to. The reason being: They can boast to other people that 'See, my son/daughter is so good, blah blah, has won so many medals, blah blah, achievements.' Whereas the poor child feels ostracized from the amiable social life he deserves.

The second clash occurs when a child is about to take up higher studies, or is about to make a career choice. The parent feels that its his/her natural duty to guide the child into taking the right path, and almost always ends up doing something catastrophic instead. Its not that the father or mother does not have the child's best interest in mind. Certainly they want their children to prosper. But what they do not understand that the child may want to do what he likes, instead of following his parents wishes.

For the parents, the top priority is given to job security, they want their children to settle down into a good job, and earn a decent salary. Which is why they force them to become engineers and doctors, with the age-old belief that engineers and doctors are better off than everybody else. True, we certainly need good quality engineers and doctors, but forcing someone to do engineering, or medicine, just for a degree or job, is an outrageous act. But unfortunately, even in today, the 21st century India, the mentality of most middle class people is that their children should not do anything besides engineering, medicine or management. Fortunately the upper class have realized the importance of following an all around approach, and are letting their children do whichever course they want to. Of course they have the financial resources so they can send their children abroad, where he/she has thousands of career options. India still lags behind heavily, especially in imparting quality education.

No wonder so many students end up committing suicide. They feel that they have been pressurized into doing something they never liked. They loose interest in their subjects, and ultimately in life. So what can be done to avoid this situation? First of all, career counseling must be made mandatory in all primary schools, as is done in the US. Parents should be involved in this process and should be ascertained that their child will be happy and prosperous by following the career which he loves. Parents should understand that one cannot automatically become secure, by doing engineering or medicine. If one follows his passion, he will definitely become successful, whether that passion being becoming a wildlife photographer, or a comic book writer. Every child is special- He/she has many talents within him/her. Those talents must be nurtured and allowed to expand. He/she should be guided into making the right career choice.

Of course, many students blindly opt for engineering, since they believe it will give them a job. Moreover, many of them have not heard of colleges besides the IITs and NITs(or AIIMS). Much remains to be done in this regard, to make more high quality Arts, Commerce, Law,etc colleges to come up.

If both the child and the parent understand each other, life will become much better. This bonhomie is required in the present day India. Always follow your passion folks, and let your children do the same. Its for their own benefit.

Keep reading, signing out.

What makes it Right- The Change we Need.

2010-02-20T19:59:00.005+05:30

Okay, today I am officially 21, and I can legally marry now. :), jokes apart, let me continue with this post. Dont worry, it wont be too long.

I want to discuss about what makes me really happy, and what makes me frustrated. Lets start with the happy part. What makes me really happy? Its watching other people follow their passion, and do something which will not only benefit them but others as well. For example, I have personally seen many students who have got the realization as to what their real interest is, and what they want to do in life.

I have met two of my college juniors who are quite enthusiastic about their passion. One is Satnam Singh, who loves making electrical models, which are quite good, trust me. The guy is an expert when it comes to dealing with machines, electrical or otherwise. And he never gives up, till he completes a project. Plus he is always ready to do something good and big. And he loves interacting with both seniors and juniors. I am quite sure that he will do something great in life, since he has married his first love- electrical and electronics engineering. :)

The second is Avishek Adhikari, a total computer genius. From Web Development, to Image Manipulation, to Photoshop, to Java and C++ programming, and ethical hacking. What not. He loves experimenting with things, and he does so quite beautifully. Its hard to express that in words. He will probably do great in the I.T. line. Any company will fight to keep him. But he may even become a talented entrepreneur. Reason- He follows his passion with utmost dedication.

I salute both of them, and thousands of others who are following their passion. For these are the people who will be really successful. And not those who are blindly running after money and jobs.

To end with a popular quote- ' Follow your passion. Pursue Knowledge. And success will surely follow.'

The Sadistic Individual Part 2

2010-02-16T12:28:00.003+05:30

Ahem, I am finishing this post just for the sake of finishing, cause I dont have the necessary inspiration to post about sadism, AT PRESENT.

Where Was i? I even forgot the context, thanks to Eweek. Hmmm, after being National champions yet again, who cares to write about sadism.

But all said and done, a certain amount of sadism and masochism exists in every human being. Take ragging for example. Most people consider it as an innocuous act, designed to break the ice between seniors and juniors. Rather, it breaks everything(bones for eg) but the ice. If this is not sadism, then what is? We enjoy watching other people get humiliated. We take delight at other people's pain. But when we are at the receiving end, we expect others to show pity on us. This thought is pathetic. Beating or hurting someone else, gives us a kind of temporary pleasure, hard to define in words. It gives us a feeling of superiority, of power. That we have the power to inflict damage upon others. Never mind the fact that the 'other' is just a helpless victim unable to defend himself.

Then again comes the ego problem. 99% of all guys I have met suffer from it. They refuse to budge from their view-point under any circumstance. Even if they are wrong, they refuse to admit it. Pride to a certain extent is okay, but beyond that its only plain hubris. Ego and Sadism are linked as well. People with extremely high egos tend to be more sadistic. Plus the general thought is, 'If I have to go down, I will take him/her down with me.' Which is very stupid, according to me.

More often than not, a sadistic individual ends up hurting both another person and himself. Though at the time of committing the act, he does not realize it. Many a time, he ends up repenting when its too late. By the help of meditation and yoga, one can learn to control his emotions. The one thing to keep in mind is, 'Never act on immediate impulse.' Ie what we call as Josh. Its always better to be slow, calm and rational, rather than fast and fallacious. When the feeling of causing others harm rises, suppress it immediately. You can try thinking of the ramifications of committing that act.

For example, you have recently had a break up. But that girl is still on good terms with you. However, the sadistic individual rises inside you, and you want to send her a volley of slangs, parceled in a sms, or email. Before you realize it, you have clicked on the send button, and its too late to amend your nefarious act. Now she even stops talking with you, and ignores you. Making the situation even worse than before. Learn to gain self control.

Thats all for now. Looking forward to Aarohan 2010. :)

The Sadistic Individual Part 1

2010-02-03T16:53:00.003+05:30

Well, I have been thinking about this for quite some time now, the element of
sadism which i believe is ubiquitous. It is there in all of us, though few of us realize it.

Consider this: was there a time when you felt a surge of jealousy when your classmate scored higher than you? Am taking the most simple example. Did you not wish then, that you should have scored higher, that you deserve more since you are a better student. Such envy is usually innocuous. But it can take more complicated forms.

The desire for revenge is yet another sadistic situation. Say a guy has been rejected by a girl. Or better still, he is involved in a break up. But he can't forget his ex-girlfriend, nor can he forgive her for leaving him, even if the break up resulted due to his fault and not hers. What does he do? Just leave her alone in peace? Perhaps, but rarely done. What he does instead is to hunt her out, and try to make sure that she suffers as much as possible. He just wants to inflict as much pain as he can, for he cannot accept the fact that he has been rejected.

Few of us actually have the capability to forgive a person who has wronged us. An eye for eye will make the whole world blind. Thats why blindness is on the rise, I suppose. Keeping grudges has become the latest trend, and blaming others takes the credit as well. Whenever we get frustrated, instantly we raise a finger at someone else. But rarely do we accept the fact that we did something wrong, and move on.

*To Be Continued

Happy Republic Day

2010-01-26T20:37:00.001+05:30

So, am back again after another break. Tomorrow I shall start classes after a well deserved hiatus.

Anyways, one thought which always lingers in my mind is development. More specifically, I mean India’s development. I always wonder when India will become a fully developed country. Not for quite some time, at least, since it is plagued by a host of problems, most of which we are quite aware of, yet we refuse to do anything about it. If I start talking about all of them, I have to type for over 24 hours. So giving my fingers a break, I shall only focus on the major issues.

1) Overpopulation- This is the first thing that comes to my mind. Surprisingly, the Government is doing very little to curb population growth. One reason for this is, ‘More the people, the more votes we can get’ philosophy followed by many inept politicians. So let people produce more people and so on. Okay, enough of blaming the Government. Why can’t we do something about these ourselves? Everyday in the newspaper, I come across poor people who claim they cannot feed their family, comprising of 5-10 children. If you knew that you have financial problems, why on earth did you create so many children in the first place? Okay, some people will condone the poor guy, saying that he is illiterate, so he does not know about family planning. But I wonder, does one need education to understand the basic principle of ‘Short and Happy Family’? Can’t one use some common sense to realize that sustaining a large family is costly, as well as detrimental to the individual, society and the nation as a whole? Apparently not. The desire for a male child, combined with ignorance and superstition, is still the order of the day.

2) Corruption- Enough said, little done. Nothing is being done to break the nexus between criminals, politicians and law-upholders. Greed for money towers over everything else. I wonder what these people will do after siphoning so much money. Take it with them to the after-life? Eat it? Consume gallons of imported whiskey? Who knows. All we can say is that corruption has rooted itself in every section of the Indian bureaucracy. One step towards embellishing integrity, is the initiative taken by Nandan Nilekani. I am of course, speaking about the Rs. 150,000 crore Unique Identity Project.

3) Infrastructure- Even after 60 years of Independence, we have failed to establish or implement an impeccable Infrastructure design. Our roads are full of ditches and potholes, causing delays in transportation of goods(especially FMCG)- which results in losses worth millions of dollars per day. Go into any Government building, and you will be eager to get out ASAP. Not to mention the red-tapism which causes unnecessary delays. The private sector has done quite a lot, in this regard, but still the condition must be ameliorated further. Starting from schools, to hospitals, post offices and railway stations- we need a Total Refurbishment. If we even want to think of matching the Developed World Standards, ie.

4) Education- Any country which wants to get developed, must place the maximum emphasis on education and career development, especially in a country where the average age of people is quite low. But quite tragically and ironically, our country has neglected education more than any other sector(apart from maybe, health). At the beginning, the funding was abysmal. Now, the funding is there, but still little is being done. India actually has more number of educational institutes than the European Union and the USA combined, around 18,000 in number. Yet, quality-wise it lags far behind any developed country, and also many developing countries like China, which has gone light-years ahead of us as far as education is concerned. We just have a handful of colleges that provide good quality education(and they too are facing faculty shortages), and we are still following a monopolistic, unidirectional trend of education- that of engineering and management(Even in that we lag far behind compared to developed countries- No Indian institute even features in the top 100 worldwide). Whereas most of the developed countries follow an omni-directional approach, giving equal stress on Technology, Science, Research, Literature, Commerce, Law, Music, etc. In India, education is simply considered as a business. Rapacious businessmen set up colleges, since they know that most Indian students are degree-hungry. For the sake of a degree, they are glad to sacrifice everything else. I will continue discussing about education in my future posts.

5) Finally, comes the most important part- the Will. No country can get developed if its citizens refuse to participate in the development process. The trouble is, greed and poverty has acted as severe impediments for this progression. Most of the Indian citizens have not raised themselves above their self-interests for a greater cause- their country’s development. The reasons for this may be many- ranging from poverty to selfishness, to indolence. Japan was demolished after World War 2. Yet its citizens worked hard, and selflessly devoted themselves for their country. As a result, it is one of the biggest economies in the world today. Same was the case with the United States of America, and similar is the trend currently shown by China. Unfortunately, we Indians have failed to emulate this principle. We still stand divided, under the banner of nefarious political parties. We are busy accusing and blaming one another, rather than working in harmony. We like to protest, bash up people, and destroy our own national property. Our sadistic and lackadaisical nature has allowed ragging to flourish even today, in most colleges. We are busy filling up our own pockets, and backstabbing our colleagues at the same time. We claim to be united, but we fight in the name of religion, caste, sex, creed, state of origin, etc. The only reason why most of us go to school and colleges is just for a degree, and jobs, and not for learning or for gaining (and spreading) knowledge. We have not learnt to treat women on par with men, and crime continues to be rampant. Yet, we still proclaim ourselves to be righteous citizens of India.

The time for change is NOW. We must act now, for the betterment of our country, and our fellow citizens. We must learn to rise above our self interests for achieving a common goal- India’s All Around Development.

Happy Republic Day. Jai Hind!

A letter to an Editor

2010-01-19T21:05:00.002+05:30

The following is a letter(email) which I wrote to an editor of CNN-IBN, in reference to an article written by her.

Respected Madam,

This is in reference to your article dated 17th January, 2010 which appeared in the ‘Hindustan Times’ newspaper.

For once, I was glad to see someone cover the ‘other’ aspect when it comes to the success of ‘3 Idiots’. You have given quite a different view, regarding the film and its impact on the modern day youth. But I would like to put my own counter-arguments for the same.

You have gone a tad too extreme when you proclaim that the film tells us that India’s system of education is idiotic, teachers are brutes, rote learning is always bad, etc. I don’t think that the film takes up such an extreme viewpoint. If you do look at it, our education system has quite a few major flaws. Personally, as an engineering student myself, I have come across very few talented or resplendent teachers who are ready to teach for a cause besides their own material gain. And most of them get into the teaching line because they don’t get a job elsewhere (a few were audacious enough to admit this fact explicitly). According to a recent newspaper report, 1 out of every 3 IIT faculty seats lies vacant. Not to speak of the other institutes.

The eminent IIT alumni you speak of, such as Nandan Nilekani, Narayan Murthy, etc have become famous not because they were IITians but because they dared to do something different from the rest, and their ideas were mostly original. You can also take the case of Chetan Bhagat or Harsha Bhogle, both IIM-A pass-outs. We know them not because they were in IIM, but because they followed their passion and came out as successful human beings(and not brainless machines) rather than following the traditional path. This is what the film is all about- Following one’s passion rather than giving in to someone else’s(parents, peers, etc) desires. This does not mean that Wildlife Photography requires no effort, or that you are better off singing songs than reading books.

In our country, every good student is encouraged to become an engineer and join IIT, even if the poor child has absolutely no interest in engineering with minimum inclination towards Science. As a result, he dislikes what he studies, and loses his faith in the education system. Over 90% of my school-mates are currently doing engineering, though I can say with perspicacity that less than 10% take any interest in their engineering subjects, simply because they were never meant to be engineers in the first place. If someone wants to do Arts or Commerce, he is looked down upon as a poor student. The main reason for this(which I feel) is that we do not have any Arts/Commerce college at par with the IITs. Why cant we have IIAs(Indian Institutes of Arts), IILs(Indian Institutes of Law), IICs(Indian Insitutes of Commerce), etc?

Moreover, I am sure you must be familiar with the contemporary trend of an average Indian male(youth). Most of the engineers(around 65%) end up taking IT jobs, irrespective of their disciplines. Thus we have a serious shortage of skilled engineers, as far as Core Engineering jobs are concerned. Moreover, the best students opt for Management and rarely do anything which is related to their engineering course. Isn’t that simply a wastage of a degree? This proves that for an average Indian student, all that matters is the degree- along with Fame of course. Nobody is bothered with obtaining knowledge. Otherwise, how can one account for the fact, that a Chemical engineer, doing an IT job, shifts into Management and finally join a Bank(for the sole reason of earning more money). If he wanted to work in a bank, why did he do engineering in the first place? (As clearly mentioned by Aamir Khan in the film).

You have pointed out quite unequivocally, that majority of the educational institutes have too few seats. Should ‘High Quality’ education be reserved for only the ‘Best of the best’ students- a miniscule minority?

I do not think that the film states, implicitly or subtly, that students should abuse their teachers, hate their books, etc. Your last sentence is somewhat fallacious as well - ‘…We are in no mood to study and delighted that idiocy is at last legitimate.’ Even the worst of the students in our college studies before the exams. I do not think that anyone wants to ‘screw’ or execrate the education system as such. The atrabiliousness in our youth is caused mainly by the fact that they do not like what they study, and as a result fail to get a job, due to inadequate skills. There is a huge gap in what we are taught (plain bookish/theoretical knowledge) in college, and what is actually required in the industry. However, very little has been done about this so far. One such initiative has been taken by Infosys to provide a Campus Training Programme for college students to bridge this gap.

What India really needs is young, dynamic entrepreneurs who are ready to follow their passion and work for a greater cause- which will act as succour for India’s economy. Whether they are from IITs or IIMs is inconsequential. Many such initiatives have been successful. To give a few examples: Mr. Car Wash(a car washing scheme), Calorie Care(for the calorie conscious), Adwallz(which advertises via Wall Coloring), Sacred Moments(distributes Puja Kits) to name a few. We need to promote innovation and creativity, something which is inconspicuous by its absence in the education system(of course there are exceptions, I know a few people who are making brilliant innovations, like cheap techniques of purifying water, saving the environment, micro-satellites, communication, etc). People who do ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking are looking down upon with disdain, rather than being encouraged. The ever increasing avarice in a rapacious lot of people, is simply promoting the rat race. Can one answer a simple question- Why do we have such a competitive MBA entrance examination(CAT), but we do not even have a national level examination for BBA? The answer is simple enough; we do not have any renowned institution for BBA. People will gladly sacrifice their interests to be a part of the rat race. No wonder we have so few Nobel Prize winners- a fact contributed to the lack of willingness of Indian Students to pursue research. After all, that is a tedious job which will not giving you instant riches, and requires loads of patience. But for an average Indian youth, all that matters is making fast bucks. The film highlights all these aspects.

Anyways, on the whole, your article made for a nice read. I am looking forward to reading more such articles in the future.

Thanking You,
Yours faithfully,
Satwinder Singh,
(3rd year Engineering student)
Durgapur,
West Bengal.

Short Story:Ratiocination at the Interview, Part 2

2010-01-11T20:49:00.000+05:30

Ah, finally a question which he was waiting for. ‘For acquiring business skills and making a mark in the corporate world. For setting up his own company or organization. For helping the fellow citizens of his country with his special entrepreneurial skills. For learning about the country’s economics, investments made, mutual funds, stocks, shares, debentures, asset building, liabilities, demand-supply,etc etc,’ He repeated in his mind.

Aloud he said, ‘Cash. Cold Hard Money. An MBA is an instant shortcut to fame and earning quick bucks. And I wanna be really, really rich.’

‘What is the meaning of this, Mr. Engineer? You want to do an MBA simply to get rich and famous?’

‘Are you deaf, Mr. Interviewer? I said that perspicuously, did I not?’

‘But won’t your engineering skills be wasted in that case?’

‘What engineering skills? I don’t have any. I never wanted to do engineering in the first place. Its way too boring. Thank God those 4 horrible years of my life are over.’

‘Then why did you do engineering? You could have done something else?’

‘Simple again. I did it simply because every good student does it. Because of the degree, which has a very high demand in the industry.’

‘But if engineers don’t do engineering jobs, who will?’

‘Who cares? And quite frankly, nobody bothers. All that matters is the degree, and of course money.’

‘Anyways, let us ask you a few questions related to your academics. Electrical, in fact.’

‘Go on ahead, I have memorized as many definitions as I could.’

‘Why don’t we use a special relay in a motor car?’

‘What? Why are you asking me conceptual questions? Just ask me the definitions. Nobody has the time to bother about Why’s and Why not’s. We just study to pass in the exams and get that stupid degree.’

‘Okay, then tell me what sort of resistor should we use in refrigerators?’

‘How am I supposed to know? Go and check it yourself.’

‘Oh well. Tell me, what is the practical use of Differentiation and Integration?’

‘What? Are you out of your mind? How can those be of any practical use? Just give me a problem, and I will show you how they are done.’

‘I give up. That’s enough. It’s clear that you have only relied on rote learning, Mr. Engineer. You have absolutely no concepts.’

‘How dare you say that? Don’t you know that most engineers do they same? Simply memorize things a few days before the exam, and pass? Do you honestly believe that over 5 lakh people are interested in Fourier Transforms and Induction Motors, and Fluid Dynamics, and Operating Systems? No sir, they do it simply out of compulsion. So that they can pass, get a degree, and get some useless job which they will never like.’

‘You have been quite ingenuous to say the least, Mr. Engineer.’

‘Yes, Mr. Interviewer. I am here only because MBA is the latest fashion trend. People believe it’s cool to do an MBA, because it gives you load of money and makes you famous. Who bothers to know about Business or Economics or Finance or whatever? That junk gives me a headache. Plus, currently every engineer believes that doing an MBA is his basic right. After all, with more than 90% engineers in most Bschools, MBA has unofficially become an extension of engineering, has it not?’

‘You are right, Mr. Engineer. 95% of our students are engineers, and most of them are like you.’

‘The problem is that most students are confused. They have no idea in which direction to propel themselves. This is because they lack ambitions and the courage to follow their passion. So they just go along with the flow, doing what others are doing. Instead of doing something they will inadvertently hate, if they had just pursued their passion with dedication, they would be earning much more than by being nugatory engineers.’

‘For example, in our country, chemical engineers take up I.T. jobs, then shift to management and finally start working in a foreign bank. Now tell me, wasn’t that engineering degree simply a waste of resource?’

‘I was impressed by your frankness. We will surely look into this matter. You may leave.’

Finally, our hero leaves. He is not quite sure as to how he performed. Will he make it or will it not? Let us end this story here, and hope for the best.

Short Story: Ratiocination at the Interview, Part 1.

2010-01-11T20:44:00.003+05:30

Okay, this is my first real attempt at writing a short story. Hope you like it.

Ratiocination at the Interview:

Characters in the story:

*-A ‘so called’ Engineer- The Main protagonist. An average engineer, whose name will be kept a secret for copyright protection.

*-The Interviewer- Again, his name will not be made visible to the reader for the same reasons as above.

*-The Second Interviewer- A so called friend of the first interviewer, who is rather too determined to take his friend’s position.

*-A Beggar- Who is actually a Soothsayer in disguise.

The story begins on a fine Monday morning. Our protagonist, Mr. Engineer gets up sharp at 6 O’clock. This is supposed to be the most important day of his life: His MBA interview. Already fed up with his short stay in an IT company, he is really anxious to join a reputed Bschool. He has prepared for this main event for the past few months. Now he is ready to deliver. He gets ready, puts on his best suit(with a matching tie), has a light breakfast and keeps all his files(with his most precious possessions- His certificates and marksheets) in order. Finally, he takes off, in his Hero Honda Motorcycle.

On the way, he stops in front of the traffic signal(which is obviously red). His interview is scheduled to start from 10am, but he is to report at the venue by 9. Suddenly, a hand grabs his back. He turns around to see a beggar dressed in rags.

‘Alms, my dear sir, please give this poor man some alms’, pleads the destitute.

‘Scram! Get away from me, you filthy idiot. You spoiled my brand new suit,’ screams our not-so-suave engineer.

‘Please sir, I haven’t eaten for three days. I have 15 kids and 2 more are on their way(twins, he is not polygamous). Please sir, have mercy.’

‘Will you get lost or should I kick you aside? Do you know how learned I am? And look at you, the only thing you have achieved is to know how to increase our population.’

‘Okay sir, I am going. No need to release your anger on a poor man. But before I go, I will give you a curse, a prediction. Today you will speak only the truth, and nothing but the truth.’ Saying this, the beggar sped off leaving her hero speechless.

‘What did that mad guy mean by that? Who cares, I must reach my destination on time.’

The Engineer does not make it on time. He is exactly 2 minutes and 27 seconds late, but such delay does not make much of a difference. He gets himself registered and proceeds upstairs for the Group Discussion(GD) round, along with 9 other aspirants. However since this story is called, ‘Ratiocination at the Interview’ and not ‘Rationcination at the GD’, we will skip this part and go straight to the interview.

Time: 2 pm.

‘Mr. Engineer, please come in,’ says a voice from inside the interview room.

Our hero steps forward, extends his hand and stumbles. Instead of handshaking the interviewer, he manages to shake his moustache.

‘I’m sorry sir, I slipped. I apologize.’

‘That’s okay, Mr. Engineer. Please have a seat.’

The engineer sits down and gives his files to the interviewer.

‘Okay, Mr. Electrical Engineer, tell us a bit about yourself,’ remarks the first interviewer after glancing through our hero’s file.

‘Sir, I am an electrical engineer but I have been working in a software company for the past one year.’

‘Hmm… Go on.’

‘I have no interest in software. Or I.T. for that matter. Its all crap, just typing bunches of redundant code, while sitting on a chair all day long, in process spoiling our eyesight as well.’

Something was wrong. This wasn’t what he intended to say, it just came out automatically.

‘If that is the case, why did you join an I.T. company in the first place?’

‘Simple, sir. For the same reason as the remaining 65% of the engineers who take up an IT job. They take an IT job because it is quite easy to get into one. The company doesn’t even test you on I.T., so almost any guy without any IT knowledge can get through. But getting a Core company job or even a PSU job is really difficult. Moreover, who wants to run around working like a slave when we can sit in a chair, and enjoy the comforts of an Air Conditioner?’

Now our hero started to panic a little. This was definitely NOT what he had wanted to say. He was actually blurting out the entire truth, instead of speaking the lies he had carefully constructed over the past few months.

‘I think you are contradicting yourself a bit, over there, Mr. Engineer. Anyways, tell us then, why do you want to do an MBA,’ the second interviewer asks.

*To be Concluded

Advertisements: Trivial

2010-01-08T20:26:00.004+05:30

Well, for a change, I decided to make this post a short one.

Basically, its about advertisements or ADs, in short. I will review a few of them.

Recently I saw an AD in which a model dressed in a swim-suit comes out of water(onto a beach) in a provocative manner. The AD may have been suitable for some other purpose(though that may be strictly debated) but instead the AD was about a Cement company. Now what does a cement company have in common with a model in a swim-suit? Beats me, but you can ask the makers of the AD. No doubt it was a commercial disaster.

Another such AD showed some models(Non-Indian to say the least) taking off their clothes(Dont get too excited, not all of them) in slow motion, for what you might ask? To devour a new brand of Chocolate. One gets it poured all over her mouth.
Now how are the two acts related is beyond my imagination. It sure can turn many heads, glimpsing the scantily clad models, but is it actually promoting the chocolate sales in any way? I dont think so.

And lets go to two of my fav. ADs in recent memory.

One is the Max New York Life Insurance ad. Which depicts a guy being escorted by his parents inside a train compartment. In it, an independent girl is already seated and the poor guy is mollycoddled by his parents(Watch it if you havent already- the fun element will not remain if I type it out in english). But it is genuinely funny and original, no banality involved.

Second has to be the Tata Tea 'Jago' Campaign Ads. The first one was about interviewing a so called corrupt politician and encouraging the public(esp the youth) to cast their vote.
The second one was about taking and giving bribes, a nefarious act which should be stopped. (I particularly liked the saying- 'Woh Khatein hai kyunki unhe hum khilate hai')

Both of the above ADs were plain, good and appealed directly to the audience.

Anyways, I promised to keep this short. So adios, and keep reading. Thanks...

New Year Resolutions for Earth's protection.

2010-01-05T20:30:00.002+05:30

First of all, I would like to wish a very happy New Year to all of you. Hope you forget your old worries and rejoice in the awakening of 2010.

Here is a quote- ‘ An optimist is a person who waits till midnight for the new year to begin. A pessimist is a person who waits till midnight for the previous year to end.’

Okay, as promised here is a post for the common man, the everyday citizen of India.
I am sure many of you must have made New Year Resolutions, which on every count, you will eventually break(if you don’t, that’s excellent). But here are a few things you can do, to make life better not only for you, but for millions of others. Just close your eyes, and for a few minutes only, think of the underprivileged people. Think about those destitute people who do not even get to eat 2 meals a day. Obviously just thinking will not help them, or yourself. But you can certainly act for their sake. I am not saying to go and denote loads of money to charity (most such acts are just publicity stunts), but do something which will dispel global warming and prevent extreme climate change.

Here are a few things which anyone can do:

1) Switch off the lights and fans, when you are not in the room. I know this sounds a bit too repetitive, but the thing is most people don’t do it. They think that they will return to the room after half an hour, so why bother switching off the light. Some people keep the lights turned on even in the daytime. Why not simply open the windows and take advantage of Nature’s gift instead? Pure sunlight also has many other benefits. Just by switching off the fans and lights on a daily basis, you can save a huge amount of energy (and reduce your electricity bill as well).

2) Avoid using equipments that use too much electricity. For example, Air Conditioners, Geysers, Computers, etc. Minimize their usage. Unfortunately most people keep the A.C. running throughout the day during summer, and I don’t even have to say how much time the modern day youth spends in front of the computer. In this case laptops are a tad better, if they are operated via battery. Try using alternatives for the A.C. For example, there are special cooling fans available, along with items which keep your house cool.

3) Try to minimize water wastage as well. Most of us have the habit of letting the tap water run(and get wasted) while we are brushing, shaving, etc. Moreover, an average person wastes too much water while bathing. That does not mean we should become unhygienic and stop bathing. It only means we should be a bit frugal, while consuming water. Remember, there are millions of people who do not even get clean water to drink, let alone bathe. Avoid taking long showers. Do not keep the tap open un-necessarily. If you see water over-flowing anywhere, do try to close the tap/minimize the leakage. Don’t just remain a mute spectator, thinking that it’s not your responsibility.

4) Start walking more, instead of using that motorcycle/car for every small purpose. It’s good for your health, and will also minimize pollution. Nowadays, the young people have a tendency of flaunting their possessions like bikes and cars. Many a time, they simply go off for joy rides along with their friends. This not only wastes petrol and money, but is also pernicious for the environment. Try utilizing car pools for reaching your destination. Or better still, use public transport (I know the condition, but still).

5) Finally, this is one thing which few of us bother to do. Recycling waste products. If you can’t do it yourself, distribute such waste products to the concerned Waste Management Agency in your town/city. Do not litter away trash anywhere you like, especially plastic. Moreover, try to avoid wasting paper. Most of us do not think twice before doing so. Do not buy too many copies or exercise books at once. Try to make each copy last for a long time. If your handwriting is too big, try to make it small, so that you don’t have to rush off to buy a new exercise book after every few days. Similarly, avoid wasting food and other non-durable items.

6) Donate your old clothes to the needy. Do not waste food, and eat healthy, organic materials (cultivating them will be excellent) if possible. Try planting more plants(trees), and avoid burning excessive wood during winter.

I could keep on going on and on, but its better to do things one step at a time. Start small, but carry on with what you started. If you follow the basic steps above, I can assure you that our planet will be very grateful. We can still avoid catastrophe, by doing our bit. Remember, no problem is too small or too big. There is always a solution. Do not think that the things I mentioned are too trivial, and that everyone knows them. Knowing is not enough, and as the Martial Artist Bruce Lee remarked, ‘We must do.’

Take care, citizens of India and the world. Let us join hands to make the world a better place to live in, for all.

Oh My World!

2009-12-28T22:21:00.000+05:30

Okay, it feels nice to be back after a long break. To tell you the truth, I really wasn’t excited about updating my blog. Anyways here goes another attempt.

One of the current hot topics in the news is climate. Yes, the same old redundant topic. Climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, rise in global temperature and the height of sea level, etc etc. So whats new about it? Well, recently the Copenhagen summit ended, with 192 countries(or rather their delegates) taking part in it. Many economists and politicians have termed the summit to be a failure, whereas Obama feels that a good progress has been made, and is looking forward for the next summit in Mexico(I wonder if he will repeat the same thing there). Anyways there has been quite a hullabaloo about these events, pertaining to the pernicious effects of global warming on mankind(Who was responsible for this in the first place?)

Basically, let us sum up the summit talks in a nutshell:

1) The US and the other developed countries refused to accept any legally binding carbon emission cuts. Which basically means that they are free to pollute the environment as much they want and nobody can do anything about it.

2) Instead the developed countries want the developing countries like India and China to increase the restrictions imposed on the emissions so that they can protect their own skins.

3) There is a total confusion as to the financial aid to be provided to the poor and developing countries. No specific amount has been set aside, and all those hyped talks about implementing clean technology and providing capital investment to tackle global warming in poor countries, have remained just talks. In fact its highly unlikely that the poor countries will get any money from the rich fanatics.

4) India and China decided to join together for once, putting their differences aside and also alienating themselves from the G-77. They are not ready to accept legally binding cuts and want the developed countries to shoulder more responsibility for tackling climate change.

5) So ostensibly no action has been taken, and while it has been unanimously decided that climate change and global warming is a threat, it seems that all the leaders and politicians are simply passing the buck, blaming one another while the common man suffers.

So why do politicians make such hyped talks and conferences and meetings and parties and God-Knows-What-Else but refuse to act when the time comes? ‘We will do this and that. We have to do this and that.’ Why don’t you actually go forward and do it then? Nice question. And it has no simple answer.

Isn’t Homo Sapiens the most amazing species which ever existed? We have managed to achieve what no other species has. For our own greed and materialistic gains, we have successfully managed to hurt and almost annihilate Mother Nature- our planet, Earth. We have built up industries; we have increased our population to an unprecedented limit. And we have misused all the natural resources and as a result obliterated the environment and our atmosphere. We cut down trees to make furniture; we destroy wildlife and natural habitats without a second thought. We create weapons of mass destruction which can wipe out life within seconds. Which other species could have done what we have done? But after polluting the environment for over a hundred years, finally man seems to realize his misdoings. Now, he wants to redeem his faults. Or at least, he is talking about it. And after watching glaciers melting, natural disasters cashing in, and the planet getting warmer by each passing day, he has accepted the upcoming dangers.

Now is the time to wake up and stand together for a cause. We cannot change what we have done in the past. But we can make sure that the future generation gets to see and live in a better, cleaner Earth. For this we have to do a lot of things. But every task starts with a single step, so we must not delay and act fast.

In the next post, I will write about some of the steps we(i.e. the Common Man- Not many of us are politicians or Global Leaders) can take in order to keep global warming in check.

*To be Concluded.

Just another Update

2009-12-06T13:26:00.002+05:30

*Personal:

This is to inform everyone that I will be taking a break from blogging for around a fortnight, to prepare for my semester exams.

So hope to see you all soon.

Oh and yeah, am trying to implement a Mission 50 programme for my sem preparation. Hope it pays off. :)

Take care, and see ya folks.

Game Review: Batman-Arkham Asylum

2009-11-28T20:39:00.002+05:30

All right, here goes nothing. My first game review. I have been an avid gamer throughout my life. My favorite categories are action, strategy and RPG. This time, let me start with one of the best games of 2009(if not the best)- Batman :Arkham Asylum.

I am quite sure that most of you have heard of Batman(come on, who hasn’t?). The legendary Caped Crusader or the Dark Knight, created by the late Bob Kane in the early part of the 20th century. Since then, the Batman franchise has grown exponentially. Initially from comics, to TV serials, to cartoons, to video games and finally Real movies. And who can forget the performance of Christian Bale and the late Heath Ledger, in the last two Batman movies. Personally, ‘The Dark Knight’ has been one of my most favorite superhero movies of all times, and there was no way I was gonna miss a Batman game on the PC. So here is my review on it:

Graphics: 9.5/10

Go and see the screenshots/trailers for yourself(if you have not played the game). I don’t have words to describe the Graphics of BAA. Simply stupendous. It literally took my breath away. From the cape fluttering in the breeze, to the Batarangs whooshing past the goons, it’s all simply awesome. But of course, most games coming out recently have fantastic graphics too. Is BAA extra special? You bet it is. Am getting a bout of aphasia now. So you better check it out asap. Eidos has really outdone itself this time.

Storyline: 9/10

The main backbone of any game is its storyline. And BAA does not disappoint. With a fabulous plot, devoid of any complicated implications (save the Joker) BAA will keep all players on the edge of their seat. The Joker has ostensibly taken control of Arkham Asylum and has released most of the prisoners. He has also brought a gang of 100 plus goons to do his dirty bidding. And he unleashes his most abominable plan yet, to vanquish Gotham city. Now controlling the Batman, the player has to put an end to the Joker’s demonic plans. Along the way, you will have to deal with a host of puzzles, riddles(guess who?) and traps. And of course, Supervillains. Major amongst them are the Scarecrow, Killer Croc, Poison Ivy and Bane.

Gameplay: 9.5/10

This is yet another factor taken into consideration while rating games. The gameplay is equally superb. You have a host of gadgets at your disposal, ranging from the simple Batarangs, to the Bat-Hook, explosive sprays, Bat-lines, etc. You will need to use the Grapple-hook throughout the game. Plus you can also glide along long distances, which is almost equivalent to flying. The combat system is quite engrossing, with a wide range of combos and high-tech arsenal to choose from. You can start out with simply kicking and punching, and go on to perform special maneuvers like Silent Takedowns, Special Takedowns, Hanging villains upside down from Gargoyles, performing a flying Glide kick, etc. Trust me; you will never get bored of it. Plus as you defeat enemies, and solve riddles, you earn experience which can unlock newer items. But quite possibly, the biggest trait of BAA is the Detective Mode. In this mode, you can detect secret passages and hidden enemies. You can also follow the trails of different persons just in case you are stuck. In all, BAA makes a very satisfying playing experience.

Music: 8.5/10

The music is also great. Though it may not be anything superbly outstanding, it’s still quite pleasant and mellifluous. I am not music/sound expert, so I will refrain from further comments on this one. Personally I found the sound and technical affects great. But still, a tad below Excellent.

Overall: 9/10.

Buy it, rent it, steal it(okay just joking). Whatever you do, just get this game ASAP. Even if you are not a Batman fan, you will still love this game. (Its better than Prototype, Xmen Origins:Wolverine, and much better than Resident Evil 5- some of the games released in 2009, according to me). This(BAA) is 12-13 hours of pure fun. Blood and gore lovers, sorry to disappoint you, but this game does not contain any heavy violence or adult material (Stick to the dull FEAR 2 if you want such games).
Batman makes a mark, which you can be sure will remain indelible for a long time.

P.S.(SPOILER)- The game is probably gonna have a sequel as well. According to the ending, ie. But then again, maybe not. It all depends on the makers. After all, Max Payne 2 was supposed to have a sequel made. But it never did. Rather the developers made a mess out of Alan Wake(or some horror crap). Keep your fingers crossed!

Present Scenario

2009-11-22T14:19:00.003+05:30

A few days back, I was watching an episode of Yuva Bharat. I really enjoyed listening to the tale of a young Saina Nehwal, an enthusiastic and talented sportsperson who has dominated the arena of Badminton in the past few years. Currently she is ranked sixth in the world and No.1 in our country. She is a good idol for all emerging players interested to make a career in the line of sports. But what fascinated me the most was the problems she highlighted, which a sportsperson generally has to face.

First, we all know, is the ubiquitous and nefarious mentality of majority of the parents. ‘You must become a Doctor or an Engineer. ‘Sports’ is for the poor and stupid guys.’ I believe this attitude is one of the BIGGEST reasons for hindering our country’s growth. Not only is it destroying a child’s creativity and destroying his career, but it is also responsible for the state India is in, currently. A state of malaise. Saina is lucky to get her family’s support, but how many others are? I have seen countless people giving up their passion for sports, just to get an ‘Engineering’ or ‘Masters’ degree, and literally annihilate their life, mostly to fulfill the wish of their parents. Parents don’t understand that a child should be allowed to follow his/her passion. They believe that a child should get a job with a steady supply of income, and that only engineering or a college degree can help the child get a stable job. But if you look at the west, you will see that the popular(and even not-so-popular) sportspersons earn much more than what an engineer will make in his entire life. The reason is simple. In developed countries, people do not consider Sports as a hindrance to one’s life, but as a valuable asset, both in terms of money and fame.

Another thing which Saina spoke about is Specialization. The same old topic comes up, ‘Why does India wins so few medals, and other countries like China and Jamaica win so many?’ Saina explains that the sportspersons outside, are highly specialized in their respective field. For example, a Table Tennis player spends his entire time on Table Tennis and nothing else. You will see very few people pursuing multiple sports/activities simultaneously. But in India, the same old attitude comes and blocks our path. ‘If you are Hell Bent on pursuing Sports, you must get a college degree at the same time. Academics always comes first.’ Can anyone give me a plausible reason as to what help will a college degree do to a person who wants to make an entire career out of sports? The answer which most parents will give is, ‘If he fails in making a mark, he can always get a job to supplement his life.’ See, they are thinking of failure even before the child has actually done anything. They want to play safe, and are simply not willing to let the child take any risk. That way, he has to cope up with both studies and sports and usually does not take either very seriously. He/she also has to take breaks for exams, which impediments his progress in sports.

Anil Kumble may be an exception, but go outside India and try to find out how many Sportspersons are Engineers or doctors? Hardly any. The reason is simple. They have spent their entire life following their passion and given all they had to achieve their goal. This is what I call real education. And not memorizing notes and vomiting in exams and getting Engineering Degrees on paper, as is common amongst Indian students.

Finally, yet another issue addressed (Man, I guess I am becoming a Saina fan) is Sponsorship. In India, sponsorship lags far behind than in the West. Sponsoring companies are just not willing to sponsor new talents or emerging sportspersons who may not be financially well off. But they sponsor a person after he/she has achieved a significant amount of success. We have often seen cases where people do not even have the money to invest in high-quality training or to appoint a talented coach for guiding them. Many of them give up, and this situation is really sad, because the Country is losing valuable talent, mainly due to corruption and nepotism. India is probably the only country where we do not give sufficient recognition to talent. A child who is good in playing table tennis is forced to become an engineer against his will. A cricketer is rejected by the selection committee because he is too poor to give them bribes. A scientist is unable to carry on the research due to lack of high quality equipment (Not that the Government cannot afford it, but rather the money is pilfered by rapacious politicians and other corrupt officials) , leaves the country and gets a Nobel Prize.

The bottom line is that we do not appreciate any Out-of-the-Box thinking. We want to follow the same old inane, repetitive trend of ‘A Job(Money) is All what I want’. This is one of the major reasons that a person who does something unique or different is looked down upon and fulminated instead of being encouraged. No wonder we hardly have any Nobel Prize winners or International Medal/Prize holders.

And even after all this; we keep repeating the same old question, ‘Why doesn’t India win more medals in the Olympics even after having a 1 billion plus population?’ I guess we all know the answer but do little to take pragmatic action.

Anyways, thanks for reading, guys. See ya!

Life as we Know it.

2009-11-17T20:38:00.002+05:30

Well, I have always been an avid fan of Astronomy. And passing time thinking about Extraterrestrial life has been one of my biggest hobbies. So I am writing this article in lieu of that.

Well, recently scientists are claiming that the moon hosts water, and it has been doing so for millions of years. And that it has water is an indication that it might have given refuge to living organisms sometimes in the past. Some say it has life even now. Apart from the moon, similar theories for life existence exist for Planets such as Mars, and also other moons of Jupiter and Saturn. In almost all cases, scientists and astronomers are for the lookout of water, or ice and in some cases even oxygen and the presence of a suitable atmosphere, which is essential to sustain life. My question to all of them, is a simple ‘Why?’ Yes, why. Why is it essential for water or oxygen or even an atmosphere to be present for life to exist? Why cannot life persist in absence of water and oxygen? Is there any real, valid, irrefutable scientific theory to endorse this statement?

For long, I kept on wondering about this. There are billions of planets in the universe. Any one of them could harbor life. And it is next to impossible for us, with our current technology level, to locate life in places far outside our solar system. We should keep in mind that we are not looking for earthlings, but any sort of life forms present. So why should they drink water and breathe in oxygen, and live in moderate temperature regions. Let us take a hypothetical situation. Say a living being X, lives in a planet whose average temperature is 500 degree centigrade. Say, X takes in nitrogen and releases hydrogen. Say the planet has no trace of either oxygen or water. Say, X depends on carbon related food material which can even be rocks. So whats the harm? You may say that it sounds too far-fetched, but hey its nothing compared to some of the alien movies we have seen and endured and live to tell about it. The thing is X may exist. There is absolutely no valid law that can refute this statement since we hardly know anything about the entire universe.

One explanation is similar to our mathematical models. We take it that a certain statement is true, and then based upon such given facts, we try to prove that other statements are true is well. Sort of similar to mathematical induction. So we assume that since life exists on earth(and that is a fact), so if we apply the conditions for life to exist on earth, or rather the conditions of the environment, temperature, proximity from the sun, atmosphere, etc, and we replicate these conditions for other planets, we may find life elsewhere. This theory may be correct, but it may be fallacious at the same time. We cannot predict with 100% accuracy, whether or not life can exist in other conditions. But I personally believe that it can. Other living beings need not be similar to Homo Sapiens or any other species found in Earth, for that matter.

But most scientists still follow the principle of ‘Life can exist only if a planet/moon is similar to Earth’. Namely the principles are:

1) The planet must be average size. Neither too big nor too small. Since life does not exist on Mercury and Jupiter.

2) The planet must have an atmosphere belt to protect us from UV light, meteors, harmful gases, etc. Since it is universally assumed that gases harmful for us will be harmful for other beings too. Duh!

3) The planet MUST, ABSOLUTELY HAVE WATER. CAUSE NO LIFE MEANS NO WATER. OR WAIT WAS IT THE OTHER WAY AROUND?? Yeah yeah, believe what you want.

4) The planet must have the same amount of oxygen and nitrogen, as in Earth. Even if some other being depends primarily on hydrogen.

5) The planet must have an average temperature of around 15 degree centigrade, the same of Earth. Else it is too hot or too cold to sustain life. Yawn, can anyone tell these people that hot and cold are relative terms. 1000 degrees may be hot for you, but not for X.

Anyways, enough of my blabbering. Obviously all the Nasa scientists and World renowned astronomers know much more than I do, and if they say the above principles hold true (Note: Without any solid proof), then perhaps they do. But I still believe what I feel like, and that is Life CAN exist without the above 5 principles.

2 States - Book Review.

2009-11-13T20:22:00.000+05:30

All right, as I promised here is the book review for 2 States by Chetan Bhagat.
Like all Chetan Bhagat books, this one too is priced at Rs. 95, and has been flying off the shelves. Almost!

To begin with, this book is partly autobiographical. At least that’s what the author says. So its hard to predict what actually happened to him in real life, and which part is total fiction. In any case, the story revolves around Krish and his girlfriend Ananya. Both batchmates at IIM-A(they even share the same room-weird). Both are madly in love and want to marry. But what is the impediment? They belong to two different states. Krish is Punjabi and Ananya is a Tamil Brahmin. So naturally their parents object to their marriage according to conservative Indian traditions and beliefs- blah blah, and thus begins the tale of convincing, separating and re-uniting. With some masala, and fun poured in, to make a typical Chetan Bhagat novel.

Don’t go expecting for any great literary stuff. Far from it. The story is essentially nonsense, but still manages to keep you hooked till the last page. But throughout the book, one gets the feeling that he/she is watching a C-grade Bollywood flick, where hardly anything of importance takes place, and we don’t even notice where the story begins and where it ends. The book also has many loopholes and features many illogical aspects. Basically that’s what you will get, when you take Hari from Five Point Someone, rechristen or rename him as Krish to get a new character with old traits. Ie the same IIT Delhi Mechanical Engineer who lusted after his professor’s daughter.

The book is quite funny than its predecessor, 3 Mistakes of my Life. There are quite a few hilarious moments (Krish blackmailing Ananya’s brother, getting up and running away during his marriage, making his boss prepare his coffee, etc) but there is a equal share of hodgepodge as well. Ostensibly, Chetan has made fun of both the Punjabi and Tamilian communities, pointing out the subtle idiosyncrasies. Now let us look at some of the negative aspects/loopholes of this novel, and of Chetan’s works in general.

i) How come the guy, no matter how ugly or average looking he is, manage to get a beautiful girl all the time? If you look into statistics, around 70% of Indian men(youth) are single, 29% are committed to average looking or poor looking girls, and less than 1% hook up with really pretty gals. So how come the book’s protagonist always seem to fall in the rarest of rarest category, ie the less than 1% one? And why on earth does the most beautiful girl always fall for an average guy in the book? Why can’t it be the other way around? Maybe because the story would not be too spicy then.

ii) According to Chetan, youth (life) seems to be about drinking, smoking, sex, and even drugs. The way he writes almost makes it feel that all of those are perfectly normal, and innocuous. Many guys feel that if they indulge in all those activities, it will make them look cool and feel better little realizing about the negative ramifications. Worst of all is the fact, that most of the girls have been given manly characteristics. They want to smoke, drink and indulge in sex. I would like to stress that very, very few girls (Indian) are actually like that and the ones who are, lack morality.

iii) There are far too many co-incidences. But I suppose that’s true for most authors. For example, in this novel, how come Krish’s dad repair his relationship with Ananya and their parents, even though both(Krish and Dad) hated each other? How come a Tamilian Brahmin girl from a decent vegetarian cum teetotaler family, crave for beer and chicken? How on earth did nobody say anything when a guy and a girl stay in the same room in a hostel? Surely there are some rules to be followed, right? Plus there are many other minor illogical incidences as well, like how come a guy who screwed up his entire life in IIT, manage to land up in IIM-A of all places? But they can be ignored, considering the work is mainly fiction.

On the whole, I would give this book a ‘5 out of 10’. And I will include it in the ‘Time Pass’ category. If you are feeling bored with nothing much to do, go ahead and read it. But I don’t feel that its worth a second time read. Go read some real fiction or literary work.

Nonsense and Updates

2009-11-10T20:37:00.002+05:30

*Personal

Yeah, had a very busy fortnight. Or rather, as usual I ended up becoming indolent. Dunno why, but am just not getting the mood to sit down and type. I want to do something else instead.

Anyways, sessional exams finally over, had my first IMS exam as well. Oh well, sem is approaching and I am not making much progress. Sigh!

Enough of complaining, lets see whats going on currently,

1)Finished 2 States by Chetan Bhagat. Will write a review in the next post. Found it average.

2) Got 6 new games(mostly highly popular ones like Gears of War, Mass effect and Bioshock) thanks to Kuntal. And my eccentricity for installing them just one month before sem.

3)China and India still arguing. Whatever.

4) Obama passes a Health Insurance deal. Yawn!

5) Attacks continue in Pakistan.

6) India lose Hero Honda cricket cup series versus Australia. Was expected.

7) Unrest continues in many part of the country.

8) I still need to finalize my final plans. Lol.

9) 2010 is coming. No, I said 2010 not 2012. I dont care if Apocalypse is just 2 years away.

10) Big Boss is getting a bit obnoxious. But still addictive for idiots like me.

11) John Cena is once again the WWE Champion. You cant see him though.

12) The world record for typing is 173 WPM. Damn.

See you in the next post. Adios.

5 Reasons on 'Why to do an MBA'

2009-10-26T20:44:00.001+05:30

Okay, back after a while with a very important post, especially for all future MBA aspirants. Earlier I had written about 5 reasons for not doing an MBA. Naturally that led to many people asking me, ‘Why then should one do an MBA?’ Here is my answer- 5 valid reasons for doing an MBA.

1) To reach/work upon one’s Goals: Yes, you guessed it. Goal with a capital G. Football lovers, I mean your aims and ambitions, sorry. I know the following statement sounds really clichéd but I will say it anyway- ‘A person without a goal is like a ship without a rudder-ie he keeps moving aimlessly from one point to the other without achieving anything definite and failing to reach his destination.’ So if you have already made some real career goals, and are confident that an MBA degree will help you in reaching new heights, as well as fulfilling your goals, then by all means go for it. And if you haven’t made any goals yet, there is no time like the present. Let those grey cells work, or rot. Your choice, Mon Ami.

2) To enhance your Managerial Skills: You desire to be a successful manager and leader. And you feel an MBA degree will make you one. You want to learn how to manage a team, or run a company efficiently. You already have some innate leadership skills. And you want to develop them or ameliorate them further. Doing an MBA will certainly help you in this regard. Especially in polishing your skills. Note that you need to have some amount of Managerial talent and leadership skills. If you are totally blank, and expect that an MBA will insert such skills within you, as in magic, then you are totally mistaken.

3) You want to become an Entrepreneur: Don’t get me wrong. It’s not mandatory for a person who wants to be an entrepreneur to do an MBA. Far from it. But it will certainly help you in the long run. After all an Entrepreneur should be a good leader and manager as well. He should have the risk taking ability and the ‘Dare’ inside him/her to do something different. Moreover, if you want to become an entrepreneur, you should have a clear vision of your ideas. Do not be tempted by money and try to curb your greed. Make definite plans and put them into action after assembling a team of able persons who share your vision.

4) You have Genuine interest in Business: You are a person who loves reading Business news, and business magazines. You keep a hawk’s eye on the Stock Market. You love watching Business rivals battle it out. You also like working with numbers, as in Finance, and you like comparing different types of advertisements and promotions, suitable for Marketing. Or you like analyzing people and their ability for working in a particular line. You can identify who is suitable to become a manager, as in HR. Similarly so on and so forth. If you are really such a type of a guy/gal, then I am sure that an MBA will help you enhance your career prospects.

5) To make it big in the Corporate World: Just like the world of Fashion, the Corporate World has its own glamour or charm. If you are a person who feels magnetized by that charm or attracted to the Corporate World like a guy who has his first crush, then I believe an MBA degree will certainly help you. You are probably a type of person who wants to make it big in life. But remember by big, I do not mean someone who just blindly rushes after money and fame. In that case, he/she is likely to get neither. But also make sure that you have good communication and managerial skills.

These were the few reasons I had in mind. Of course, there can be many others. But I decided to restrict them to 5. If one or more of the above reasons apply to you, then surely go for an MBA. With hard work, dedication and persistence, success will surely come up to shake your hands. But unfortunately, the current trend of engineers pursuing MBA only for the greed of money, largely persists. Something needs to be done about this, and fast.

Take care. All comments welcome as usual. Adios.

The Dragon Breathes Fire

2009-10-21T20:46:00.000+05:30

Okay, this is not really an article. Just something I would like to express my views on.
Recently, India and China have been locked in a vortex of verbal wars or conflicts. China expresses its discontent on some issues and India on others. Let us look into what has got China aggravated.

First of all, the Dalai Lama issue is always ubiquitous. Whenever he makes a statement or visits Arunachal Pradesh, China always has something negative to say about it. I really do not see the point. The war with Tibet is long over (though the belligerent feelings remain). Yet, every move the Dalai Lama makes is closely watched and examined by the Chinese Government. Some Chinese officers claim that he issues statements which are Anti-Chinese. But the Dalai Lama is an Indian citizen now, and I really don’t see the reason why China should keep on interfering with his every move.

Secondly, as I mentioned in the previous paragraph, the issue of Arunachal Pradesh. China proclaims that after defeating India in the 1962 war, it has occupied large territories of A.P. and that now it is a part of China. Can anything be so ridiculous? Arunachal is an integral part of India, and has always been so. The recent elections confirmed this, with over 70% poll attendance. Yet, whenever our Prime Minister/Dalai Lama/Other VIP visits A.P., the Chinese get offended. They claim that such actions will deteriorate Indo-Chinese relations. I really don’t see any legitimate reason for the Chinese Government to get offended by this. Not unless they want to expand their territory and military base.

Lastly, China is now considering Jammu and Kashmir as an independent nation not a part of India. They are even issuing a separate visa (on a piece of paper) for it. The logic being that the region is a disputed area which both the Indian and Pakistan Government lay claim to. Chinese officers have gone so far, as to the extent of creating a separate map for India which does not include Jammu and Kashmir as an integral state, but a separate nation. I would not even like to comment on this ridiculous report. Who knows, next the Chinese people will announce that Alaska is not a part of the USA, and should be considered as a separate nation since it has a far colder climate.

There are many other trivial issues which are resulting in minor and major conflicts between the two countries. And neither side is ready to give in. Anyways, let’s hope for the best, and wish that the issues get resolved soon.