Pages of my Diary......

Miss you Steve Jobs !

2011-10-06T13:54:00.000+05:30

Everyone is missing Steve Jobs...read what some of them are saying:

President Barack Obama: “among the greatest of American innovators -- brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it.By building one of the planet’s most successful companies from his garage, he exemplified the spirit of American ingenuity. The world has lost a visionary. And there may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented.”

Google’s Sergey Brin: “From the earliest days of Google, whenever Larry and I sought inspiration for vision and leadership, we needed to look no farther than Cupertino. Steve, your passion for excellence is felt by anyone who has ever touched an Apple product (including the macbook I am writing this on right now). And I have witnessed it in person the few times we have met.”

Mark Zuckerberg: “Steve, thank you for being a mentor and a friend. Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world. I will miss you.

Bill Gates: “the world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come.Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago, and have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives. For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it’s been an insanely great honour. I will miss Steve immensely.”

Apple Website: “Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being.”

_______________________

I can only say in my way: The LION joins iCloud....but he will always be in SYNC with us....forever. Rest in peace Steve Jobs...I say good bye to you but I am still surrounded by you - writing on my iPhone, with the Mac in front of me , and my iPod on the bedside.. !

Some not-so-pleasant questions

2011-09-17T23:21:00.001+05:30

Recently I came across news article about the sad incident in which one of our MP ( an ex Cricketer) lost his young son. It is indeed a very heart rendering incident, and there couldn't be a bigger tragedy for a father than to lose his loving kid. My sympathies are with him, and I can only pray to the almighty to give him and his family the strength and courage to face this situation.

Not very far from this news piece, was another series of news articles on almost all websites, where there were discussions about the breach of Parliamentary Privilege notices against Team Anna members , growing resentment of people against politicians and how they thought that many of their leaders were incompetent, and about the allegations that many of them were corrupt - to the extent that some are in jail, and some are on their way to jail.

These two articles were very symbolic for me. If I take the emotion out of the first articles and take the person, and if I take the person out of the second and consider only the emotion - it gives me a chance to evaluate our ex-cricketer MP in light of the current wave of political awakening that is gripping India. Lets see what I mean.

This ex captain of Indian cricket team is one of the best cricketers our country ever had. He was one of the most responsible batsmen, and an outstanding fielder. And the only reason for him to leave international cricket was a lifetime ban that was imposed on him for his involvement in match fixing. Serious charges ? Of course yes ! These charges mean that he must have been involved in activities that involved exchanging materialistic favors for ensuring that our country loses in the game of cricket, or at least ensuring that he doesn't play a positive role in ensuring a win. Sports reflect a nations passion, and hence the pride. Compromising on the passion of 1 Billion+ people , is like sacrificing the pride of the nation. And since there is a lifetime ban on him, there is not an iota of doubt about it.

Some would say thats an old story. Agreed. So, time passed, and hemoved from cricket to politics - something that was close to his heart, even as a cricketer. He contested the Lok sabha elections, and is an elected MP from now. This is where I have a problem - A person, who has a proven role in compromising on the pride and passion of the country, has been found eligible to be able to run this country, and represent the people of this country. Isn't that an irony? Someone whom we found ineligible to represent us in our country's cricket team, and banned him for life, now represents us in the temple of democracy?

I might sound harsh to be attacking a person at such a sad moment n his life. However, he is just a case in point that I am raising. There are several other politicians who have criminal cases filed against them, and proceedings are currently going on. Still, we the people of this country, turn insensitive to their history while making our choices in elections. Why ? What are our priorities while selecting our leaders ? Why don't we ask these question to them, or at least to ourselves ? There are some fundamental questions that we need to answer here…

Whats in a name ?

2011-07-15T03:12:00.001+05:30

Yet another travelogue from Paris - but trust me, there is something about this city that makes one think like a philosopher. Or, maybe it just reminds me, that I am supposed to be a philosopher (!).
Was waiting for Metro at the Bir Hakeim ( Ligne 6 ) stop, on my way back from work. Of course, all of you who have been to Paris, definitely know this train station- because this is where you would get down, when you pay that "statutory/customary" visit to the Eiffel Tower. This is definitely one of the busiest train stations in Paris - probably in entire Europe...for the sheer number of people visiting the Eiffel tower every single day of the year. However, today was special - its Bastille Day ( national day of France). Hence, its a national holiday, and the influx for Eiffel tower was much higher than it is usually. I almost swam through a sea of people ( much like India, and so missing it badly! ), on my way to the platform. Luckily, I was traveling in the direction opposite to all the tourist hot spots, and so the platform was not that crowded on my side.
As I was waiting for the train, trying to intentionally ignore the tourists and feeling proud about not being one myself, I noticed that almost everyone around me was suddenly amused about something. It was a shared reaction - irrespective of the age , and even I was curious to know what everyone was looking at. As I turned right, where all eyes were focused, I noticed two pigeons fluttering just above the train tracks, moving on either side of the platform. There was a kid standing next to me, and he shouted with a burst of excitement - "See that Dove!"
Everyone around enjoyed the orchestrated flight of the dove, as they moved everywhere- though there was nothing unusual about the dove or the flight in itself. However, the excitement they brought to everyone around was amazing for me to notice. Its not that I have never seen a dove before, its just that back in India, we call them pigeons, and they are available in plenty. Whats in a name - call it Dove or a pigeon , its the same thing - Right ? Well, maybe not. A few months back, when I was in India, the only connotation I could attach to a " pigeon" was dirt - the poop that it drops everywhere around on buildings, and how it is seen as a hassle by the housekeeping staff. Suddenly, as I shifted a few thousand miles away, the same pigeon seems to be reborn as a Dove - and as it changes the name, its entire existence becomes poetic. Its being seen as a representative of love, of innocence, of bringing liveliness to an otherwise mechanical railway station. Biologically, nothing has changed - its the same pigeon , I guess !
But, what has changed probably is the perspective- to be able to appreciate subtle beauty that is omnipresent around us. Why is that we need to be disconnected from our reality and put in a nascent environment ( 5000 km away in my case), and its only then that we appreciate life. There is so much of beauty around us, and beauty not just in nature, but even in its beings, and in every little moment - so much of life in our everyday life !
Maybe in a haste to 'live' ...we often ignore 'life' .........

Summer in Europe

2011-07-09T15:00:00.002+05:30

One can only describe the beauty of summers in Europe - and for a quick glimpse, this is what I see in my balcony when I wake up to this lazy Saturday morning !

Sent from my mobile device

A Kuznets Curve of Memories (?)

2011-07-01T03:07:00.005+05:30

All of you must be aware about the Kuznets curve, which gave a new dimension to the discussion on how environmental priorities of an economy changes with the progress in level of incomes. I was revisiting the curve a few days back, and was amazed to see how I could see myself undergoing a similar transition - in a different context altogether. Its almost been six months since I have been out of India- and somehow, I feel that my memories of India is trading a similar curve uphill.

As we ( Nidhi & myself) landed in Paris /Europe early this year, we were really excited to be here....again ! The weather was just perfect, appropriately cold but no snow, and my days of studentship had just ended. We loved escaping from the hub nub of India - that honking of horns in Delhi's mad traffic, smog filled air of Indian cities, and extremely suffocating population density per meter square. Paris was a different world - probably a world that an Indian like us can not even imagine in dreams. A city where the pedestrian is king, where the roads and boulevards beckon you with their serenity and charm, where the open places motivate you to spend some (lot) more time outside the buildings, and a city where one can survive almost entirely without a car.

However as time progressed, there are many so far unseen/unfelt dimensions of our country that started haunting us in our day to day life. When the chilling winds of Paris never seemed to calm down, what we missed most was that bright and sunny November in New Delhi. When the endless strolls in search of vegetarian food on the streets of Paris never ended, what me missed most was the unending options for good vegetarian cuisine in India - a selection often made by way of rejection. When our heart soared every Friday after receiving movie updates from www.bookmyshow.com, and not being able to watch any of them here - what we missed most was the Large Movie+Popcorn combo and that comfortable couch of BigCinemas. And the list is unending.....

Now, what remains to be seen is if we will transcend the curve as has been highlighted above - whether the longing for India will fade with time, as we get settled to this new way of a Parisian lifestyle. Will we start enjoying the beautiful Parisian boulevards which look all the more heavenly as they are brightly lit up during winters; do we increase the frequency of our visits to the Indian district ( Gare Du Nord) in Paris and cherish the excellent south Indian food there, and get addicted to the illimite carte from UGC Movies France (unlimited movies for 15 Euros/month ! ). These are our Darwinian survival instincts coming back very strongly on the nostalgia, and helping us descend that curve to a zone of comfortably feeling being Parisian. And I am curious to see , who wins ? Maybe we will be successful in getting over with this feeling, and start accepting the new way of life as our own - before we finally head back to India.

Thats life I guess - a big adjustment in itself !

The tale of two climates !

2011-06-19T06:12:00.000+05:30

Its almost been 6 months since I have settled in Paris - however, there is an answer to one question with which I still baffle all my European colleagues. When asked on a bright and sunny day, if the weather outside was good - my answer is a very strong NO. My friends who have spent most of their lives in Europe , get to see the bright side of sun only for a few weeks or a few months at max. And hence, every extra minute of life spent under the sun is a moment of bliss for them. However, when you ask the same question to a person like me - having spent all these years in India, being born and brought up in North India, and on top of it, living in Ahmedabad for the last 5 years , there is no way that I can appreciate the sun. Sun/heat is something for which I had an over-supply for all my life - especially during my stay at Ahmedabad. And hence, for me the definition of a good stay is still a day full of clouds, with occasional showers, absolutely no sun...and maybe a temperature between 10 and 15 degrees. I hope ( not very seriously though!), that someday I will change ( or rather evolve as a true European) and in the process, stop disappointing my European friends in their plans of having a sandwich at the Champ de Mars, under the sun !

A journey called Fellow Programme

2011-04-29T18:55:00.002+05:30

I had never thought where I would ultimately land, when I began this journey almost 5 years back. I was well settled in my job with a state owned oil company (the word “fat paying” has been dropped intentionally, since I resigned before the 6^th Pay Commission was implemented!). It was my first job, and as everyone says- it’s almost like ones first love. Although I joined in a small town of northern India for my job, but then this is where I belonged too. I think I would have been lost in some bigger city than this – maybe to the extent of losing my-self to myself. I enjoyed my work and my stay in this company for two years, and leaving it was definitely a sad moment. However, the sheer imagination of what lay ahead was enough to fade away this sadness, and it was a matter of days when this swiftly changed into the excitement. It was the euphoria of being able to join the “Well-known-Institute-of-Management-in-Western-India”, or WIMWI as we lovingly call IIM Ahmedabad.

It has been a long long journey, full of ups and downs, both personally and professionally. But, when I stand on this side of the river and look back, the water looks very still- I guess that’s the trait of every journey. The water looks still from both sides, and the under currents can only be experienced when you embark the actual journey. Well, that being said, it wouldn’t be inappropriate to acknowledge that the journey has been more than fulfilling – to the extent that I have evolved as an individual while treading this path. It has added to me immensely, again both personally and professionally, and some of the milestones that I crossed in the last five years would always be cherished by me and my loved ones lifelong!

Back to blogging

2011-04-18T01:01:00.002+05:30

Hello everyone,

Last few years have been hectic, and I have been working to finish my PhD ( phew !)....well, the good news is- its over , finally !

you can expect some action on this blog now. So, do revisit my blog in the coming days ,

Prasoon

And is it 'D' end of everything ?

2008-01-30T12:08:00.001+05:30

Walked in when, we were in great expectation

And an excellent welcome was made in orientation

Everyone was aware that entering WIMWI was a damn thing

But what amuses us still is the orientation wala CP of Dalla Singh

A rigorous life was waiting for us as we entered the IIM door

We were all surprised that the hours never added to twenty four !

Then came the day when we faced our first quiz

Excellent they all went, until the marks were to be given

Quizzes made many of us skip lunch and eat sandwhich

But it seems that how CCD used to manage sales in its balance sheet

MANAC quiz after manac quiz left us with a lot of pain

And Daabit Craadit none of us could finally gain

T nite was another milestone in our life

We all did, what we always thought was naive

Behaved like nerds when we toiled day in and day out

Every Prof could gauge that we all had a night out

But then we were lucky to have class of MC

Thanks god the computer din't explode in ecstacy !

Summer Placements did bring in a bit of change

Many people after that started acting strange

And then the old social system resurrected

Into days 0,1 and 2 was our entire batch divided

The enthu in CP received a major shock after that

And the so called I-schols started sleeping flat !

Well now that the days for me at the campus are few

And in a few months, everything around me will be new

Well, I am always gonna miss these brick walls

This is where the most cherished days of my life fall !

I am losing faith in myself

2007-12-10T18:03:00.000+05:30

Came across a recent news item (click here for link)about young children being used to plough the fields in Bihar. What was most astonishing about the heinous act was that it is being reported from the farm lands of Union Rural Development Minister, Raghubansh Prasad Singh. And our able politician has the grit and the courage to call it as a issue being given unnecessary propoganda just to defame him. I beg to differ with him, because it will be derogartory to the word "fame", if we thinks he can call himself famous ! And then someone intelligent would say - Oh, this is Bihar...that is how it is ! My question is...Aren't the people in that state also Indians ? Don't those children have the right to achieve basic education and food under mid day meal ? Isn't that state also responsible to contribute towards the Millenium Development Goals ?

This event mocks the entire India versus Bharat debate. When we have innumerous such Bharat's existing in our country, how can we even think of creading brand India. We need to get our house in order first, and the strength that it will give us, will then be acknowledged even by the world outside . This is a stark reality about an India different from the India we all know, we all live in, we all enjoy - a reality where still people are pressed with poverty and lack of resources, that they are ready to replace animals in the field, just to earn some food for them.

Although this sounds like a perfectly efficient solution- afterall this factor of production comes much cheaper than any animal, with only variable costs and no fixed investments ! Its an obnoxious point that I have just made, and what I need to ask myself - is it human ? After seeing this, I think I need to correct my understanding about the definition of humanity, and amend that humanity is totally context dependent. So in a place like Bihar, which has been plundered by many "able" politicians in near history, where a full stomach of meal has been distant dream of many, a sound sleep with a healthy body has been a fairy tale, I think what is being done by employing children in place of animals in indeed human. It is human, because it gives them the means to eat some food, to be able to support their living, and more than anything, to be able to survive against death ! However, what remains to be debated is the appropriability of this "context" based definition of humanity ? Is this the reason for which I decided to study public policy- just to tailor definitions that fit the reality- how so horrible that reality is. Is this what the policy makers are supposed to do - browse this news item on the internet while working on their latest configuration Sony laptop sitting cozily in the armchair, and write a sentimental blog about it..before they logout and move to check email ? If this is what policy making is, where inspite of producing noble prize winning developing economists from India, and emminent economists leading our nation, we face truth so bitter, I think I am losing faith in my decision of being able to contribute in the development of my nation as a policy maker. And if it so, I see myself as no one better than those people who are making the children plough the field. In fact they are an inch better than me, because they are atleast giving a chance to those kids for eraning their livelihood !

But then, I am comforted by Edmund Burke, who said - " All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing". At least I am not contributing to their triumph !

Click here to see the video of the children

And I love this truth !!

2007-12-08T04:21:00.001+05:30

Watched the John Dahl directed hollywood classic The Great Raid, about the heroic act of US Army Rangers and Filipino guerrillas raiding the Cabanatuan in the Philippines on 30 January 1945. This resulted in the liberation of 511 prisoners of war (POWs) from a Japanese POW camp near Cabanatuan. The event has been acknowledged as a celebrated historic achievement involving Allied special forces during World War II.

It is one movie which shares a deep message about faith and hope - in one's country, in one's people, in those who love us, in god and more than anyone else- in oneself ! The courage with which the PoW survived the gruelling acts by the enemies for 3 years, and the bravery with which the US soldiers fought to get their men back, are few events that could make anyone emotional and patriotic. Such historic instances are few moments of glory that light the history of any nation as twinkling stars, and are visible as a ray of hope when any countrymen retrospects into the history of his nation. The grit, the determination and the courage needed to lead and make such missions a success are found only in men of exemplary will- be it Sardar Bhagat Singh, Mangal Pandey, Rani Jhansi, Sir William Wallace or Capt. Robert Prince . Such people lead the country by example, and the world owes a lot to them, because they have the selfless courage to achieve glory for their nation and its men, often at the cost of their own lives !

With a knife in my hand

2007-11-24T12:01:00.000+05:30

In one of the classes of a policy course , the course instructor brought an excellent self-baked cake for us. However, when it came to eating the cake, he gave us the knife and left an open question - Decide how you want to distribute the cake, and enjoy ! It was a serious policy question he raised in a subtle way - who gets what and how ? And when I look for answers, I struggle similarly as I struggled while deciding on how to distribute the cake, facing the internal conforntation that any policy maker across the world would face in such a scenario. The blog is my introspection on the exercise.

The holy Kuran in Suad 38:26 says, “We have made you ruler in the land; so judge between men with justice and do not follow desire”. This is a statement that is relevant to every policy maker, and guides him to rise above his own preferences and definitions of what is best, towards what is beneficial for all, or socially optimal. If we closely examine the ‘cake-dividing’ exercise that was done in the class, there are innumerous policy making and policy analysis learnings that can be taken home. I see the exercise as a typical policy decision, which involves the distribution of some resource through a policy instrument.
The simple issue here is the disbursement of a resource (could be any public good, welfare scheme or subsidy) through a policy instrument, which involves a number of actors (policymaker, beneficiaries, administrators, other interest groups), and in this setting, the interpersonal (or group) dynamics determines the discourse of events and the interaction that follows. So, if we reconstruct the exercise that took place in the class, the issue was the distribution of the cake (if it can be called so!) amongst the beneficiaries/stakeholders or actors. However, since the rules of the game (how to distribute) were not defined in advance by the policymaker, what followed was a series of discussions and negotiations about what should be the right way to distribute the cake. This is where the interaction dynamics between different actors were interesting to observe. Initial part of the discussion was primarily due to the curiosity about the cake, i.e. the issue. None of the actors was aware about the reason for which the cake was being distributed. This was a cause of concern, and probably affected the behavior of the actors initially. Had the issue been clearly defined (like cake to welcome the guest or for the best-performers in the class), probably the dynamics between the actors would have evolved differently. Since the issue was not clearly defined at the first instance, it was left to the actors to interpret the background. Hence, how the actors participate is dependent on individual specific understanding of the issue, which governs how they participate in the process. For example, if someone is unaware about the background totally, he/she will be most passive participant in the process when the question about how to distribute will be discussed. Had the policy agenda been discussed in advance, probably people would have participated differently. Few things that need to be noted here are the context of negotiations and the discussions that followed. The exact reason for distributing the cake (policy issue) was unclear initially, which is typical for this situation. Once the actors were given a lead by the policymaker (the instructor told us that it was a cake he baked for us specially) about the agenda, they started negotiating on how the cake could or should be distributed. So, it was the clear disclosure of the policy agenda (or a lack of it in this case), that triggered the negotiation and actors started negotiating so as to govern the conditions of the distribution. This leeway was available, just because the policy design was not robust enough to tackle the issue of distribution. The actual negotiation that followed closely resembles the real life situations. Different stakeholders came up with their own way of distributing the cake equally- based on the numbers, based on performance, based on efforts, based on endowments, based on power, and many more so. However, what is interesting to note at times is the universal acceptance of few and the universal ignorance of few others (e.g. students who were absent in the class). This resembles a real life situation where people generally adjust for the available, but easily try to ignore what can be ignored, so as to corner maximum benefits!

And once we understand the philosophy behind this exercise and the discussion, I think we can easily relate it to the success or failure of any policy decision and the incidents that followed. It could be the uprising in Nandigram, or the Gujjar fiasco in Rajasthan, and many more such issues. Even if none of us has ever thought these big issues, we still appreciate the philosophy behind, when we distribute the slices of pizza at home, where the kids have the first right on slices loaded with cheese and the mom generally takes the one that is left after that ! Hence, there are such considerations in every walk of life, and it won't be an exaggeration to say that all of us are policy makers in some form or the other. So, next time when you take a decision that effects people other than you, do consider the implications of your decision, as if holding a knife in hand and a cake in front !

I hate this truth !

2007-05-26T02:26:00.000+05:30

Just finished watching the recetly released bollywood movie 1971. The movie is about 6 Prisoners of War (POW), who were part of the many other such brave soldiers of Indian Army, held captive by Pakistan after the 1971 Bangladesh War. The movie tries to depict the glorious efforts of these men, who try to escape from Pakistan, so as to be able to reunite with their motherland- INDIA !

I was surprised by the fact that like all other Indian movies, this movie did not have a happy ending. An ending, like all other bollywood movies, where the hero after facing hundreds of bullets, lands safely in the arms of his fellow brethren and is able to live happily ever after with his beloved sibilings back in his motherland. Surprisingly, its one of the rare occasions where an Indian movie has presented truth, how so callous and horrendous it be. And beleive me, this time I hate this truth ! I wanted this to be framed like a perfect happy ending, but the fact is that I cannot change it, and I am feeling helpless about it. It makes my blood boil, when I absorb the fact that what the movies shows very emotionally and melodramatically is nothing but truth, or at least close to truth. Many such brave Indian soldiers who are rotting in Pakistani Jails, quite unforgotten by their own country, comes as a reality shock to me. And I am forced to ask the big question- WHY ???

Why on this earth does a nation like ours has to appeal diplomatically for 30 years to get our own brave sons? Why can't we simply barge-in with our entire armed force and tear every wall in pakistan apart to locate our countrymen ? Why do we have to keep quiet and wait for an affirmative action from the other side, and not make a violent and committed pursuasion from our end ? I don't have an answer, and neither do you have. And the big problem is that those who have an answer will never face this question ! This makes me even more outraged and frustrated, that being an Indian citizen none of us is able to do anything for such people. The insensitivity and patriotic character we have as a nation is probably depicted by the fact that this movie could not even manage a sustainable business in theatres across the country , and was wrapped up soon, probably to vacate the audi for a better entertaining movie. Please do appreciate the intended pun in the last line !

I am deeply moved by this heart rendering saga, and am unable to provide myself with a justification for this inaction from our government. All initiatives like the Lahore Bus, or the Samjhauta Express or innumerous social delegations that crossed border time and again, lose their meaning to me. Its simple hypocracy and nothing else, and I can not even think of calling it diplomacy. No parents can ever afford diplomacy at the cost of the lives of their children. Surprisingly over motherland is doing exactly that, or at least it seems so to my immature mind. Just to enhance our image as a peace loving nation, and to substantiate our efforts for mutual harmony with pakistan, we are trying to take such initiatives one after the other. Yes indeed, this will prove our commitment to peace and prosperity in south asia, and enhance our image in the eyes of the world community. However, no body has ever thought-where do we stand in the eyes of those old parents who took their last breath dreaming to be cremated by their loving son? How do we answer the craving eyes of that child who matured from his childhood to teenage to marriage, dreaming about his loving father to be back by his marriage day? And above all, where do we stand in the eyes of those brave men who have lost their vision trying to locate the shades of their tri-colour national flag amidst the four walls of some god forsaken jail in pakistan?
I guess we stand nowhere because this is what the truth is....and thats why I hate this truth !!!

What a Good Morning

2007-05-23T10:43:00.000+05:30

I have been thinking of writing these thoughts from the last many days. Although I was intentionally delaying it , but every passing morning enforced by viewpoint, so much so that I could hold no longer, and thought of sharing my worry. "Worry" sounds like a contrasting word, if you match it with the topic of the blog "What a Good Morning"....but then the feeling of well being is the last thing that is communicated to me, or for that matter to all of us, by the newspapers early morning !

Since I don't have any charming kid or a beautiful wife as of now ( its not that I regret this!), its the sweet smell of the newspaper ink and lovely view of its masthead that wakes me up every morning. But frankly speaking, now I am fed up of getting up day after day with horredously regular news reporting of bizarre incidents of murder, fire, controversy, rape, adultery, scam and political mismanagement. There is a limit to everything, and I guess our national media is just on the brink of crossing that limit of public tolerance. I am surprised how positivism and factual reporting have very easliy been replaced by the news that sell, and help them in creating further panic so that the readers wait with bated breath for the next days edition....much like the sizzling "sansani" !

Suddenly I start getting a feel that its the national media that manages the mood and temperament of the nation. I have a specific example of a national daily in mind. Few months back, this national daily was going ga-ga over how "poised" India was ( is it now also ???), and in that "golden" era, one could read article after article on the positive developments in the country. Surprisingly, during that period, when the newspaper even launched a special website, everything was supposedly going great in the country, or at least it was being reported as being great, and even the biggest of unscruplous activities or greates of national developments got the least of attention. This was for the simple reason that majority of the article space was pre-assigned for the specially "poised" articles. However, as the launch got over and it was "regular" days for the newspaper, one suddenly noticed a storm of "spicy" reporting incidents that had the propensity to rock the nation, be it the dreaded "Nithari Kand" or the "Shilpa-Gere" imbroglio, or the relatively regionally concentrated "Kauserbi" episode from Gujarat. Was it just a coincidence that these events occured at this time, or is it a reality that any other incident would also have been equally reported, just to create the regular "spice" in the newspaper , on regular days!

Its not that the media has always been like that. In fact, historically speaking, some of the regional and vernacular newspapers and magazines have been instrumental in the freedom struggle of our country, acting as a mouthpiece for the patriotic writers to instill the feeling for nationalism in everyone. This has been the history of mass media in our country, where truth has prevailed, and has been made to reach the people, even if "flour chapatis" were used instead of paper ( dont be surprised...its true about freedom struggle !) or blood had to replace the ink at times.

This is a surprising shift in national reporting from nationalism towards commercialism, where almost everyone think of writing, editing and publishing something that sells. I am indeed surprised to notice how national media is managing what people read, and thus how they feel. They need to understand that they have a bigger responsibilty bestowed in them, and it is the media which is a true harbinger of the "Right to Information" for majority of the nation. How they have to do it, is still a question that looms in front of it. But, they need to do it soon is something that I find undebatable. And sooner the shift to maturity comes, better it is for the nation as a whole............after all media is the mouthpiece and spokesperson of a nation, and none of us would like our nation to be so frivolous !

To Sir with love

2007-04-26T19:23:00.000+05:30

Let me take you back to my engineering college days, when I was studying at the Mechanical Engineering Department at IT-BHU. Our department was (in)famous for very strict and disciplinarian teachers, and their high academic expectations from the students. They were known to be very serious and grim instructors in the institute, who expected utmost discipline and academic rigor from the students. However, during my initial years, I always heard the name of Professor B B Bansal, as one of the most responsive and expert Professors. It was a dream we all cherished for 3 years, to be able to attend the course being offered by him. The anticipation was largely created by seniors, who would go all out to appreciate his style of teaching and also his humane attitude.

The long wait did come to an end, when we were in our B Tech 3rd year and he was supposed to take our course on IC engines. I forgot to mention that apart from his appreciation as an excellent Professor in class, we also were warned about his unrelenting expectation on commitment from the students, in attending classes and being punctual about their learning. The seniors clearly warned us that any trial on testing his patience for an irresponsible student would expose us to his other side, where he could go to any extreme to make us behave well as students. But the solace was that all that would happen only after class and the students were never reprimanded for anything academic participation they made in class, no matter how “foolish” they were. Yes, I am using a word as strong as “foolish”, since that is the level to which some of us pushed our point in the class, when grilled/enquired by the Professor.

When I reflect about his classes, I feel like appreciating all my seniors for the exact feedback they gave, and the pen picture they sketched before us. Professor Bansal, who always seemed very snobbish and haughty in his appearances, was actually very empathetic at heart. The way he conducted the class was a strange enjoyable experience to all of us. Let me share it how.

He had a unique pedagogy of putting forth questions open to the class. The questions could be concerning any remotely unknown topic from his course content, which probably all of us may be experienced, but never explored technically for sure. The course was intellectually so complex, that had someone tried to memorize all the possible technicalities in engines, it would have been a temporary nightmare and an easily forgotten knowledge in the long term. Instead, he made us think hard on the reasons of all practical problems, through his participative teaching style. He was never a typical lecturer, but more a facilitator and an instructor. He defined his job very well; that it was to make us think, and further assured us that all of us had the answers, some right and some wrong. He believed that his motive was to channelize our thinking in approaching the right answers from within, and to even explore them practically from outside the books or in the books itself. This was an experience none of us ever had. We were all used to the absorption-assimilation-reproduction methodology of teaching that most professors usually adopted. This participative style of teaching that made us learn by correlation and exploration of facts was indeed very interesting and simulated interest in even the most “not-interested” type students. He never mentioned attendance as his priority, but still the attendance in his class was always 100 %, since everyone had a take home at the end of the class, and so nobody wanted to miss the learning. He was highly responsive to our learning difficulties, and expected us to participate in class by providing our analysis informally. At times, none of us was even remotely correct, but then that’s how we learnt what was wrong, and so it made looking for the right very easy. He never mocked any of our answers and would simply reject it and move forward to look for better answers from amongst us. That gave all of us the courage to think and express our thoughts, even if they were incorrect. And soon most of us realized that majority of times, we are nearly close to the facts, it’s only because of our inhibition that we would not express it, and thus suffer. He attached this inhibition, and got rid of it from all of us very soon. Once we were in the participative learning mode, a lot of interaction and churning of thoughts followed. This was the beginning of building confidence in all of us, and we never looked back.
Even when I sit today to think about any problem, specially on the subject of engines, I feel to proud to say that I do not give up easily, even if its totally new topic. The continuous treatment to thinking in the class has made me to explore the logic behind the problem/phenomenon, and then try and educate myself with the actual reasons. I attribute this paradigm shift in my approach towards academics, and maybe in a broader sense towards life, to Professor Bansal. If I ever get a chance to imitate anyone as an instructor, maybe I would like him to be my idol in life. We always loved to hate the way he scolded us for insincerity, but cherished the way he nurtured us for imperfections. He is one Professor who is a “performer” in the class, and used to mesmerize us all, always. And as I always say about him, not everyone is as lucky to be able to attend lectures by him - We mechanical engineers were!

A year that was ....

2007-03-31T22:47:00.000+05:30

The first year at at IIM Ahmedabad (or WIMWI, as we lovingly call it is about to end, and the progression from the least form of life on campus i.e. fachchadom to to the highest form i.e. tuchchadom is almost on the anvil !

If I look back at the last one year spend at WIMWI, the journey has been full of learnings’. Every single day made incremental additions to my wisdom, knowledge and skills, but lacked terribly in the number of hours it had. I still get surprised when I think how it happened because the last year has been full of days packed with assignments and cases, when the workload for every next day felt impossible and the number of hours in a day never added to twenty-four! But then this is how it has been designed to be, every minute spent in the classes and every day at the campus is compressed with learnings’. I feel proud to say the kind of support we get from the faculty and the collective learning we experience with the peers is indeed commendable, and makes the stay at campus more valuable and enjoyable. I find myself substantially enriched in the last one year, and surprisingly the best is yet to come in this journey towards intellect!

A Holy Holi - Time for retrospection !

2007-03-03T13:03:00.000+05:30

Just came back from the Holi Celebrations @ IIM Ahmedabad. Thought about penning my feelings down, before they are washed away like the colour of Holi !

Being born,brought up, educated and worked in Uttar Pradesh before coming to WIMWI ( Thats whats IIM A is lovingly known as amongst us - Well Known Institute of Management in Western India ). UP has always been known for the most horrendously innovative ways of playing Holi - be it using "colourful" chemicals, "long lasting" paints, "darkest" warnish, "incensed" glue or even Mud ! However, having being belonged to the so called affluent class, and thereon educated in a good university, I preferred staying away for all such ways of playing Holi for the last many years. I always commented that "this is not a festival worth celebrating by the educated".

As Holi was approaching in WIMWI, the same thought engulfed me- How to avoid playing holi here also. But then I thought that this is Asia'a best B School, and the chances of the sophisticated "would be" managers and I Bankers playing are very very minimal. And even if they do it, the maximum they would resort to is Dry colours ( Gulal, for those who know it).
Few days back, as the festival approached and the declarations started coming from second year-ites and Cultural Committee members, I realized that some action is bound to happen....but, obviously can not be close to what I have already seenn in my home state !

However, as I reached the central place today, I realized that this is the most charged and energetic crowd I have ever seen. There were all our "managers- to - be " , geared up in dozens and scores, lovingly putting person after other in a central water tank with a capacity to host at least 3 people at a time ! I beleive the capacity planning was excellently done by some expert on operations . And this was not the end of it, in the corner we had the lawns converted into a mud swimming pool, where everybody was being dropped one after the after, with utmost care, so that the roughness of macadam would not hit the person. And this was being done with utmost sincerity and regularity for everyone who was coming, just like a typical assignment at IIM A.

So, now that I have been able to survive the "Mud Bath", I feel it was great fun. However, more than this, what is most pronounced is the spirit of celebrating a festival with enthusiasm in the company of people I love the most- my fellow WIMWI'ans. Never realized this how much one could miss college days when I was doing my engineering. However, when I joined my first company, it felt that I missed every small moment of college - the welcome party, those days of ragging ("introduction" to be precise), the numerous evening Chai, mugging for exams and quizzes that never ended, Valentine's Day celebrations, and a lot of other big and small things. Coming back to WIMWI and this day of Holi is a revisit to the memory lane. to the nostalgia of college days, and I am thankful to god for giving me this oppurtunity, to live for the last time before I finally die in the corporate world !

My First Blog

2006-07-15T23:43:00.000+05:30

When I sit to write my first blog, I feel like a youngster who has been sent out in the open with his new bicycle, and how he handles the world outside depends all on him.

I see in front a lot that can be written, needs to be writen and definitely will be written, about things that amaze me, things that trouble me , facts that surprise me, emotions that irritate me, devotions that enlighten me, relations that energize me....and a lot more.....

Hope its just the beginning of an unending end, beginning of an intellectual jouney towards rationally and emotionally presenting all that comes to mind, and I feel like sgaring with the world outside. A world, which I find not much different from my world inside !

So keep reading, keep posting and keep guiding the Emotional Rationalist !

Wish you intellectual reading