Cycle

You get what you deserve

You deserve more if you practice more

Practice makes a person perfect

Perfection is endangered if you are emotional

Emotions are difficult to check, ask any woman

Woman must be empowered and respected in relationships

Relationships with women are divine, exceptions can be there if she is your spouse

A good spouse is a matter of luck

Luck governs your future, if you insist

Insistence to perseverance endures your efforts

Efforts determine the difference between two individuals

Individual accomplishes less when not working in team

Team work compensates for each others' weakness

Weakness is characterized by psychological inability to perform

Perform until you reach your goal

Goal is the focus to realize your dreams

Dreams are abstract until you get them

You get what............

Army-man talks

Not so long ago, I was travelling from my hometown to Delhi. My boss had called me back in the midst of Diwali celebrations. I had no option but to relent and attend the client.

I was relaxing in the train compartment, reading a business magazine. A BSF personnel arrived with a cellphone in his hand. He greeted me and confirmed if he could charge his phone using the socket installed there. Interaction with these people is a luxury for us civilians. I thought it will be a good learning peeking into his psyche. I obliged him and then our conversation started.

"Are you studying ?", he enquired. "No, I am working at a Software Services company", I replied.

I asked him, "Are you going to Kashmir?". "Jammu", he replied.

He continued, "I am coming from North-East. The situation is really bad there. Politicians are aiding the terrorists to play havoc. We are restricted to take any counter-offensive action. It's not that the situation is out of control. Sometimes, terrorists walk freely in front of us and we can't do anything."

I was apalled though many would have agreed with him.

I tried to apply little knowledge. "What about the Sixth Pay Commission ?"

"We can't accept lesser salary as compared to civilians whose govt. job involve minimal risk. We have to travel extensively at such a short notice. Though we enjoy on the whole, the destinations are too strange sometimes. But, it involves sacrifices on the personal front.
The department is refusing this month's salary in protest. Soon, we will be granted the wishes."

He retorted candidly to my questions. Really, an armyman speaks out the truth.

A dream nevertheless!

Ritesh was back at his hometown after four months of gruelling assignment at Chennai. He had resigned from the job and was looking forward to new experience in B-school. Before he could tighten things up, it was imperative that he relax his mind during this phase of transition. He had quite a few days to gather knowledge about the course, develop some basic understanding and also, reflect on his past choices and decisions. Unable to shed the carefree spirit at home, he couldn't help watching T.V. This was also the time spent with his parents. Ritesh wasn't interested in watching daily soaps. It were reality shows which caught his attention. Given his penchant for dancing, he enjoyed dance shows the most.

It was few years ago that he watched the video of MJ at his best. He downloaded the video and watched MJ's steps numerous times, trying to figure out the mechanics of his movements. He tried to imitate him, but was unable to match his perfection. Yes, for him, he was the god of dancing.

After making a long run around the mini stadium, Ritesh went back tired. He wasn't sleeping as much as he would've liked. A spontaneous nap followed. When he woke up, there was bewilderment written all over his face. He switched on the T.V. and searched for breaking news. He had dreamt something he never expected. Why the hell that dream ? Why can't he ignore it ? Next morning, he frantically grabbed the newspaper and perused the headlines. Relieved he was, but all this fuss over a dream ?

Soon, Ritesh went to study management at a reputed B-school. In that 15 acres campus, he could learn so much. Everyday's schedule was busy to the core. Even to talk to his parents, he did not have the liberty of picking phone. Food at Mess was healthy and hygienic. Also, two T.V. sets were installed on the Canteen which would prolong the stay.

One such day, MJ's death was announced.

First few days at IMT

Never had I experienced this before! Quite different, a beginning of an extraordinary journey.

I used to feel proud of my achievement at CAT, but that’s insignificant now. I have reached the B school and a new perspective to life has come to the fore. Life has undergone a drastic change. A rigorous schedule is greeting us everyday. The day begins with “Yoga Session” at 0515 hrs. A myriad of magically useful aasans cured me of a chronic illness. From the morning, orientation classes are scheduled for us culminating with an Alumni interaction session at evening. Then begins the day as proclaimed by seniors. After 1800 hours, the time belongs to them. Endowed with 15 committees and clubs dexterously managed by students, IMT ensures maximum participation in extra-curricular activities. To facilitate our interests and understanding, seniors explain various clubs and committees to us. This is executed using ppts, ably assisted by videos. Keep aside the breaks for snacks and dinner, nobody is supposed to leave the hall.

The show goes on till midnight. No, we are not going to sleep. We form a line and proceed to the PDP(Personality Development Programme) session at the ground. After four hours, we are instructed to leave with a stern warning to attend 'Yoga' session. No sleep is ensured for the first few days. It’s incredible that a person who has never been awake continuously for more than 20 hours, has slept no more than 2 hours in the last 48 hours.

From job to study

I remember how it felt receiving the offer letter from my first job interview. It came with a bit of warning though. I needed to improve my communication skills and that there'll be periodic reviews of my progress. This kept me on my toes throughout the remaining years of my engineering.

Still, after joining HCLT, I dreaded termination for the first few months as I felt too many had been accommodated to perform too little tasks. As I embraced the work atmosphere, complacency creeped in and it took almost one year when I engaged in any profitable work. Soon, hostile market scenario triggered by the sub-prime crisis bottlenecked many contracts and mitigated work in current projects. The fight for survival commenced and suddenly, everyone was geared up. The options were diminishing for the lethargic and the opportunities were surprisingly opening up for the workaholic.

Never had I tread in peace. Eager to satiate myself, I had abhorred just filling in the office. That one year of inactivity bred alternate career choices. I tried for few and failed at the ultimate stages. The fact that I had informed my manager about my plans only gave me heartaches later. Being ambitious, I refused to see myself sitting 9 hrs a day staring at a computer. I began the preparations for CAT, the test for admission to management colleges. I had a previous experience of writing this tricky test. There was a colleague with similar bent, so we were a sort of company. Our preparations were in full swing, we were actually relishing reading CAT Forums and solving questions at office. Maybe our controllers realized we had been making mockery of our job and it's time to provide us with some work.

The work commenced three months before we appeared for the test. It was indeed unwelcome exercise. But, it was the first chance to prove the worth. Having the habit of enduring less risks, I preferred work over CAT preparation. My unyielding attitude and zest for solutions impressed my lead. Due to the reliance on me, I had to undertake added responsibilities. I enjoyed working most of the time though. It was a bit easy.

Fortunately, I got a chance to work on deputation at Chennai. I decided to utilize this opportunity to the hilt. I performed really well, earning direct appreciation from the client and manager alike. I worked with determination which subsided my inexperience vibes and with proactive support from the team members, conquered the challenge. This success tasted sweet and justified my enhanced salary for this duration. I reveled these moments and wondered if they'll be everlasting.

Soon I realized that my role in Chennai had come to an end and soon I will be rendered redundant if my time was extended. With a direct monitoring of the unbilled resource, not much is left in the hands of Manager. Reducing the dependency on human element will reap benefits indeed. Efficiency has reached it's highest levels in HCLT and the credit goes to EPIC(Employee Passion Indicative Count) and policy of 'Deployment Allowance'. I fancy a profit/loss sharing among all employees. Also, a schedule tracker for the mid level managers would help the company ascertain the value being brought to the organization.

In my short career in IT, I worked with some egoistic and unresponsive managers. They were at peace with their immediate hierarchy and thus were experiencing the 'joie de vivre'. An unprecedented sense of security structured their thought processes and encouraged 'extra-communication' skills with their seniors. My analysis can be extremely misleading as I have my perspective. But, discussion with senior engineers who have been good performers, vindicate my judgement.

Still, one can not come to a conclusion as a manager's constraints are thought to be different and difficult (I don't know why!). Then how some are revered by the team and some are cursed at their back? The effective team interaction skills and proactive decision making ability are on watch here. Spending quality time with the team is essential to build a sense of belongingness. Obviously, many would regard it as a waste of time, but it may provide benefits in future.

My own concepts and their implementations will be on test when I will start a new chapter of my life as a management student. It seems tough to go as I had been performing really well in my erstwhile assignment at Chennai. Maybe we are supposed to take significant decisions at the inopportune time. Keeping future in sight, I decided to go.

Youth empowerment

Being young is so great. The world is at your feet. The opportunities are limitless. The mind and body are in the best of health. So what bogs us down ? Lack of knowledge! Hefty competition! Or government’s negligence.

The inexperienced youth is unsure of his ultimate goals. He does not have that courage to follow his heart. What if he goes wrong ? Citing this confusion, the youth first likes to ensure a decent job for himself. He jumps into clichéd areas of engineering, arts, medical sciences et al. Many of us must have done graduation only for the sake of it. We are not expected to follow unprecedented dreams which may propel us into a never ending struggle for existence. The case is particularly true for families with their purse strings tied.

The youth is confronted with huge competition wherever he go and whatever he choose. Just minute differences in scores decide best colleges for some lucky few. Do so many of us not possess the talent ? Certainly not. The government has not build enough good colleges to nurture the vast pool of talent. Many of the private colleges are woefully short of infrastructure. Moreover, numerous fields popping up to give specialization have not been proportionally represented. The youth is searching for a career outside.

For those who dream big, there is no provision to provide assistance in their entrepreneurship. People wait for the announcement of a new hero, rather than helping him become one. Ideas we have, but few are transformed into actions. The youth needs fillip, the politicians aren’t ready. A pathetic representation of youth in the parliament doesn’t help anyway.

It’s encouraging that increasing globalization and India’s participation has created jobs. But a vast population is still left in the lurch. We can witness the uneducated and unemployed youth becoming a puppet of selfish politicians. Brainwashed, he is eager to sacrifice his life or kill anybody to fulfill his party’s motives. The reason: he is not making a decent living. Why ? The villages of India are not equipped with good schools and teachers. A child goes to school, comes back without any learnings. He is rendered incompetent for graduation. As a result, he has no option but to search for easier path. The politicians gleefully provide temporarily, albeit satisfying their own objectives.

Considering the inability of the fund allocated to reach upto the last mile, it will be an exaggeration to hope graduate level education for one and all. Inspite of that fact, village youths can be engaged in constructive activities. They can be recruited in skill based blue collar jobs in Small and Medium Enterprises. SMEs are based out of villages which will be value for money. They must be trained by the govt. for this endeavor. These activities are already in place, but less in number. The focus seems to be dwindling.

Women, an important component of youth, has been showing promises in different fields. The special few who have made name deserve credit. But still, there is lesser sharing of responsibilities vis-à-vis men. Most of the Indian young women are housewives. They have failed to implement the knowledge attained through various specialized courses. They have explained their minds to feel happy in their spouse’ achievements. They need to be empowered by their husband. He needs to take initiative to realize his wife’s strengths. Similar is the case with young girls whose parents must come forward and encourage to pursue her goals.
Situation is poignant in villages. There are some where girls are treated as a burden on the family. When married, they are forced to conceive child and molested if baby girl is born. The behavior is tantamount to treating her as a baby making machine. Separate awareness for education of girl child is already has been a government initiative, but its not practiced in many areas.

An important facet to bring about youth empowerment is to make them believe in their strengths and then make them trust in each other’s strengths. There are many tasks which can be undertaken in a group or more specifically, a team. For example, the youth can take the responsibility of ensuring sanitation in his village. An organization can be formed and the government can award cleanliness contracts to the same. Other initiatives like awareness campaigns can be organized in collaboration with the youth. These trust based measures will indeed lit that elusive self-confidence in our village youth and inspire him to perform quality work for society.

Whenever the situations are perceived to have created losers, empowerment has reignited the path towards success. Its imperative that the ignition is sustained over a longer duration and the illness eradicates from the society.

Hard to go!

I have loved working at this company. I joined here as a fresher and was immediately inducted in a team destined to prepare consultants for future. We were supposed to travel around the world proposing and implementing solutions to/for clients in the emerging field of Enterprise Communications. The present was a dream, the future was irresistible.

We researched on the product and worked comprehensively in full team spirit. We complemented each other and discussed problems to enhance efficiency. Soon, some of us went on their first overseas assignment. They excelled there and came back with huge earnings. We were happy for each other. But everybody wanted his share of pie. Visas were being filed for each of us and it was hard to believe that we could land in the US. The recession took toll on most of our clients and our partner's business was impacted significantly. The call never came and we hang on idle for almost a year.

Frustrated by the 'no work syndrome', I began to feel nervous. I had never dreamt of a service where my fate was so dependent on external factors. I wanted to strengthen my base in a technology rather than a product. But, that was not to be.

I sped up my preparations for management post-graduation. This was my last weapon to escape from IT. Earlier I had failingly tried to secure a PSU service and an Engineering Services berth. During the office hours, I would solve oral questions and improve my English. After reaching home, I would solve questions from the test booklets. I was purposely living alone in a rented room. Each morning, I made it a point to walk for half an hour. That used to freshen me up. Me and my friends used to have laughable conversations in the office bus. As soon as I reached office, the mandate for the day was very understandable. Citing free time, I planned to enhance my English speaking skills, reading speed and vocabulary. These take time and are essential too.

My resolve reaped dividends and I secured a healthy percentile in CAT. During preparations days also, my first priority was always work. It was only in the absence of work that I forayed into self goals. I was always ready to take responsibility. Writing code was surprisingly easy for me. It was a welcome sight that I got some chances to take lead and contribute handsomely to projects. Knowing within that I have to leave the organisation shortly, I would enjoy every bit of work. Impressed with my quality of work, the management offered me to work at Chennai for few months. The times were not good, so I had little options. Final frontiers - Group Discussion and Personal Interview demanded good preparations. Joining a coaching class gave a platform to practice in real like situations. But, me being a default introvert and everyone eager to speak, I was unable to get that edge.

Becoming a trainer to impart knowledge about a product certainly helped. That shackles of hesitation and uncertainty about appearance were broken. I could fearlessly speak my mind. Everything was falling in place. The last thing I wanted was a relocation. Yes, the call came at a wrong time. I had a GD/PI on 8th Feb, which coincided with my travel to Chennai. I had two options -

1. To resign and prepare for GD/PI in Gurgaon
2. To continue work and fly for GD/PI evaluations from Chennai to north.

I didn't want to risk my job. I had indeed planned to skip every GD/PI call and make progress in this company. On 7th Feb, a Friday, I was cooling around with my friends from the same company. Me having a habit of asking for advice, opened up my thoughts for judgment. To my surprise, they criticized my decision and bereaved the resulting lost opportunity. One jokingly even asked me to forgo candidature and let him sit instead.

The past unfolded and my choice to shun television for a year, reading english articles daily and other related preparations came to the mind. I deserved selection, I thought. Keeping up with this conviction, I decided to attend the GD/PI of the best college I was offered. I arranged flight tickets between Chennai and Delhi. Soon the day arose and I was there, competing with some 100 aspirants. The GD was a commotion and the interview was a brain stormer. For me, it was imperative that I perform to my best ability. I think I did.

The headache was over and I went back to Chennai. The result mattered less, the effort was there. I almost forgot and resumed my assignment. So involved was I in the challenging work that I began to enjoy the little successes. Pouching extra bucks was a motivation and I was bent to justify it. Going by the comments received for my work, I felt victorious. This amazing feeling was so rare. Its sad that it was short lived since I had cleared the GD/PI and was about to receive the admission offer letter.

I had to decide. The decision was taken after long discussions with my father and other family members. They backed me to follow my heart. Soon, the Chennai days ended and I went back to my hometown. I had resigned from the job. I am proud of my decision.

As A Trainer: A Novel Experience

Enter Jan 2009, I got an unprecedented opporunity. Driven by circumstances, I was called on to train some resources(as we call employees in IT). Having minimal experience of facing audiences, I wondered how to keep them busy for 9X6 hours. The challenge was daunting since I used to prefer silence to speech. I had to shed hesitation and imbibe interactive skills.
Communication skills as we call it, comprises meaningful interaction with focus on disseminating knowledge amongst all participants. The starting lectures were scratchy, with people being sceptic about my credentials. But as days progressed, I gained confidence and started enjoying the classes. I took role more as a facilitator, encouraged participation and gave personal attention. I also made some learnings and interspersed them innovatively with basic concepts and presented to the audience. Disregarding the standard diagrams, I gambled to make architectures based on my understanding. Any error could be spotted by the audience or me and we could agree on a particular approach. This conviction convinced the listeners and they could feel the effort.
The idea of the training was to make everyone comfortable to work at a product. Judging by the 88% approval rating by the participants, I have done my job.

KKR: A classic case of matter over mind

King Khan believes in justifying his stature time and again. After producing multiple hits in the hindi cinema over a number of years; Khan delved into a new venture. He invested in the KKR franchise and bought players in consultation with the 'icon'player Dada. With a successful brand image, Khan ensured plenty of sponsors for his team. The huge capacity crowd in the home ground 'Eden Gardens' ensured ringing profits for the team. It was Khan's ingeniousness that he roped in big hitters and express bowlers that were high on glam quotient. As expected, the overall performance of the team was indifferent. Khan vowed to bounce back.
Enter April 2009 and security concerns over hosting IPL in India prompted organisers to move to SA. An unwanted tussle awaited the management of KKR when coach Buchanan came with his 'multiple captains proposal'. Having different captains for different matches demanded more concentration from the team members. A lot of enthusiasm was generated and to prevent commotion McCullum was appointed the 'only' captain.
With spectacular grounds and low diaspora, IPL 09 deemed to be essentially a T.V. event. But, low ticket costs and good marketing ensured sizable attendance. Mr. Khan went to cheer his team and after a string of losses, came back unhappy. The team failed to gel together and players ceased to compensate for each other's mistakes. The pitches were tricky and demanded adaptation. The players seemed to be ignorant of that ability.
The debacle of KKR stresses the importance of picking the mind over matter. Cricket, being a technical game is not won by strength. Dearth of technically sound batsmen dealt a fatal blow to the winning prospects. Beleaguered by the low scores, the inconsistent bowling didn't help the team's cause either. Sloppy fielding including grounding simple catches often tilted the games away. What a pitiable situation that an erstwhile coach of a world class team has to manage such forgettable performances.

Protect Environment

Environment - The surroundings. The obvious yet so oblivious. When we talk of environment, a lingering issue of global warming comes to the fore. That we’re already late in catching the train is widely known by renowned environmentalists around the world. The world did it’s bit in halting the malicious side effects of toxic effluents by organizing meet and discussing bar on the green house gases.
Kyoto Protocol- which was purposely implemented by some countries to reduce their carbon footprint by 6 percent every 5 years; did not achieve it’s objective. Some of the industrialized nations like the United States were not the signatories of the Kyoto implementation. Being in the driver seat, it was imperative for the US to show some restraint in it’s massive contribution to the World Global Warming.
Learning from the Uncle Sam, the developing nations would not hold themselves responsible for the environmental degradation. Rather, they would strive to build more infrastructure, ensure good markets and increase GDP. A developing nation has to, most importantly, ensure source of money to her nation. Money can be in the form of sustainable employment. Being employed will provide security of food and home to the people. The money being distributed to her people has to produce ‘returns’. ‘Returns’ means the profit being generated out of the work done by employees. Nobody can prove that a company relying on green technology can not make profits. Companies making Bio-fuels and auto-giants making four-wheelers running on bio-fuels are a case. Similar is the REVA car manufacturer, who is a hit in Europe. Wind Turbine manufacturer like Suzlon provide 80% energy in scandinavian countries.
So if the developing nation invests in these technologies, the people can be employed as well as the returns can be generated. The issue arises in cost incurred in replacing old technologies and products. This is especially heart ache for a developing economy whose purse strings are tied. But, to fight a pervasive menace, people need to stand united with a resolve. We need to remember that these measures will sustain generations to come.

Chennai - 96

Similar to the US Army soldiers families' trepidation at the dreaded call to serve their country's futile interests in the Afghanistan, we, the Software Engineers, suffer from nightmares of being shifted to Chennai. I remember being nerve-racked when speculation was around of joining in Chennai. But, to my delight, I was allocated to NCR.
After wasting 18 months in Gurgaon, I was asked to go to Chennai. In times of recession, one can't argue with his manager. Thinking this, I courageously went to Chennai.
No doubt, Chennai has humid weather everyday. One saves a lot of money in not buying winter apparels. Apart from that, I believe Chennai is the best place to work for a Software professional. Dearth of distractions in the town and scorching heat and humidity may assist the mind to work 7 days a week. The conservative mindset and the cultural heritage do strengthen values and belief in basic Indian philosophy.
About the differences in NCR and Chennai style of work, I can assuringly say that employees in Chennai are more professional than that at NCR. Here, every employee is wearing the ID tag all the time. In NCR, I could see there were only 5-10% employees wearing the tag.
I was monitored closely in NCR, because my manager had the ample time to peep and ensure that I was not wasting my time. In Chennai, nothing of that sort happens. Everybody is committed to his task and no extra bullying is solicited from the management. This has given me confidence to perform better. Thanks to the Chennai Admin; the food tastes great and the vending machines are replaced by traditional tea/coffee makers.

2009 Knocking!

2009 heralds! A new year, a new day, a new hour, a new minute, a new second…………
Every moment this ‘new’ something initiates into our life. But, we, programmed by our brain which is affected and effected by our surroundings very understandably neglects these petty ‘new’s…’. What we do is habitually think about the positive results achieved in previous year and learn from the mistakes committed inadvertently. Normally, the analysis is supposed to be hinged on some criteria. The primal importance among them goes to money. Veritably, money is the propellant for financial growth. What about emotional, intellectual, humanitarian growths?
A new year day is nothing but any other day. We are expected to mitigate our vices for the next year. We do not earn others a penny by helping ourselves. Still, we do not do, we expect somebody to make us work for our betterment.
Lets engage in some introspection, consideration and rational thinking to steer ahead with an aim to put thoughts into action and action into results.
WISHING U A COOOL YEAR !

Farewell !

Hi Romin,
You joined G4 on 10th October 2007. You were SCJP and invited envy from me, naturally. Right on the first day, you hurled various mails in mine and others’ mailboxes. You became a rage when there was less to work on and lesser to talk about. Time passed, and we joined a team called ‘Thunderhead’. We were a team of 10 people, lots of dreams in our eyes and myriad of expectations from our colleagues and management.
We researched and collaborated with each other and cherished the success of our team mates who went on deputation to UK. We were relaxed as the product was easy to work on. Unfortunately, we were not awarded with an offshore work and we didn’t pick up the onsite opportunities. Both of us had reasons, which were valid in their own way.
We joined ‘Lotus Notes’ this July. Here, a project was ‘tailor’ made for us. We worked well and basked in its success. But, now, you have decided to pursue your higher education goal and search for the greener pastures deluding right now.
The past one year have been eventful for me. I have learnt to be patient, reasonable and unbiased. I have learnt the meaning of perseverance from you.
Romin, I have not seen a person more positive than you in my life. I have learnt a lot from you and I really hope that the inspiration will boost my life in years to come.
All the best and thanks!
Ishan

Can we change ?

We are good for nothing. We don’t have any intelligence. Our security system is flawed. Government is lethargic and corrupt.
Almost everybody is churning out these rebukes. Majority of them are well educated and earning more than required for living a ‘normal’ life. By normal, I mean a day where a person earns enough money to suffice himself with three time meals, an additional 300-400 bucks. Let us quantify and be more precise. I am talking about people earning more than Rs. 10,000 per month for themselves.
Coming back to first paragraph, these harsh comments are the result of the panic and furore created in them and others. These people are the ones who seldom exercise their vote. They are the ones who do not care about their surroundings. They think that they are doing a favour to society by earning for themselves. They are too busy to initiate/indulge in any social objectives. They have spare time, but that is ‘utilized’ in watching movies, loitering with their beloved, dance parties et al. Still, they have time, but they repeat the act. They are simply not responsible to their country. Then how can they criticize the government.
The latest attack on five star hotels in Mumbai have made one thing clear; ‘Earning money does not guarantee safety’. Even the affluent got a taste of the gory treatment terrorists were inflicting on ‘the common man’ till now. India is no more a safe country for the rich. They need to ponder. The ‘rich’ Indian citizen needs to come forward and build a collaborative framework involving the common man. He needs to be transparent and trustworthy. He needs to show that he cares. He needs to undertake responsibility to facilitate his country on the development highway. By development, I do not mean malls, hotels, industries, SEZs etc., but education, employment and sustainability.
The Indian youth has the habit of comparing India with the US and frowning over the burgeoning mismatch. Let me compare in my way:
People in US respect every profession. Do you, as an Indian, respect every profession?
American youths separate from their parents and search the job for themselves. Did you do that?
Americans like to work. Do you like to work?
They voted for change. Did you ever vote?
One thing which is more in US than India is patriotism. Don’t stare at this word. Patriotism is not only the feeling which is smeared over your mind and body on 15th August and 26th January. It is evident in the actions you take to realize your patriotism. US is a conglomeration of 50 states. ‘State Patriotism’ is also prevalent in these states. The people are bound by their conscience, to show their love and respect for the state they are prospering with. But this does not discount any chauvinism.
The problem in India is inherent dislike for other communities/religions which oozes out of public’s mind at the slightest provocation. Agreed, that the country has myriad religions and castes. But, this brings an advantage. It provides us with an opportunity to neglect these things [which we’ll have to] and be positive in life. It provides us with an opportunity to think less, work better and learn more while collaborating with others.
The time is saying ‘Catch me if you Can’. We need to think now. Every caste, religion, economic status is equal in the eyes of the terrorists. So be it. Be equal, be collaborative, be trustworthy and be Indian.

Case Study

Prashant has immense potential. He has learnt to do everything with success. He's known to be a quickest learner amongst his peers. At present, he is a Software Engineer, fighting for survival in these tough times.
His friends were convinced that he will crack IIT or even the toughest of exams. But he couldn't. He does not find excitement in sticking with one path for too long. One can say he's not resilient, but what if he's not interested anymore. He's just not interested in materialistic pursuits. He frowns at people who toil to accumulate money. He does not understand why people love, hate, quarrel & die for money. He links everything to a scheme to ensure earning more money. Thus, his endurance gradually wanes at crunch times. He lets it go because he does not enjoy fighting for more money.
He has developed a schedule to find himself happy. He finds succor in reading novels in which he finds his thoughts concealed. He knows that wealth is not permanent, neither is the body. He asks himself, why is this world mad after money? Why companies are not happy even if they break even? Why mom always asks me to find a better job?
He introspects to find a positive answer. But, soon realizes that the world is a myth driven by money. He is eager to perform, to ensure better livelihood for his parents and himself. But he enjoys travelling mostly in buses, shared autos and not in a private vehicle. He loves talking to canteen attendant and fruit vendors. He is not impressed by people flaunting their fashionable clothes. He rarely buy clothes on his own, for him it's his family members' duty.
Somehow, he makes up his mind and resolves to turn things at sheer will. But, this does not happen.
Can you find a viable solution for Prashant's dilemma ?

A to Z

A - Acrimonious B - Bellicose C - Crisis D - Dreary
E - Economy F - Fashion G - Gull H - Horoscope
I - Incense J - Judge K - Kleptomania L - Lust
M - Malign N - Necromancy O - Occult P - People
Q - Quixotic R - Rape S - Sensex T - Tatterdemalion
U - USP V - vex W - wink X - Xenophobia
Y - Yawn Z - Zephyr


This is what came to my mind in 10 minutes ! Write and analyse your mind!!

Global turmoil and its consequences!

Right when everything was going right for India, one issue after the other has unsteadied the Indian economic ship. Or has it brought down the exaggerated over confidence! Everything depends on what and how investors think! The sub prime tragedy has shaken their faith in nearly every market. Knowing the fact that Indian market depends largely on the FIIs from the west, the present is not encouraging. But even in the times of distress, we all know that money is safer when invested. These are the times of mobility, and nobody would carry his money with himself. This simple fact will deter anybody willing to make progress in his life, from not keeping his money in bank.

But, seeing the rapacious cycle of 'home loans' package, I suspect whether banks issuing credit cards at the snap of a finger are isolated from a similar crisis.

Run with the Kite!

Since last month, I was engrossed in improving my English reading and developing English speaking habit. Various methods are devised by people, the most basic and efficient one is to read novels (for speaking: add 'loudly'). This serves as a two way sword; you read and doesn't fatigue. Well, the content has to be intriguing. I read an article about Jeffrey Archer and his upcoming novel 'A Prisoner of Birth'. I completed reading it and wanted to continue.

On suggestion of one of my friend's friend, I bought Khalid Hosseini's 'The Kite Runner'. This was the best choice I had made till date. I could empathize with the pain inflicted on millions of people in Afghanistan. But this was the background over which the real story prospered. There were two protagonists, one was just like me and 'U'; the other one was incredibly loyal. The story depicts how a man down with a vice of cowardice, overcomes this trait to redeem himself in the omnipresent eyes of the 'other one'. Yes, the 'other one' was dead before the 'one' could even express his guilt.

Read it if you prefer genuine reading stuff.

India's road to be a Super Power

As the India’s tryst with destiny turns 61 this month we are left wondering whether we realized the vision our ancestors had envisioned! There are numerous accomplishments to boot, but none of them good enough to neglect scope of improvements. Though lately, India’s economic growth has put itself among the fastest growing economies in the world; it needs to complemented by the self-reliance in manufacturing and agriculture sector! An economy which is inclusive, which can rely on its own resources for the satiation of its population; is feared the world over! Its feared because other nations know that it has no urge to be dragged into a ‘nuclear deal’ which compromises its national security policy.

Let’s see areas where India can be considered a Super Power

1. Technological advancements
Indian Space Research Program is one of the greatest achievements of independent India. Recently, we put into orbit 12 satellites at once which has been done earlier only by Russia. India’s expertise in Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle is envied the world over. In Nuclear Science, India has indigenously developed Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors based on Thorium fuel. Research to minimize dependence on Uranium as an initial fuel is going on. We can proudly say that our people have developed the cheapest car in the world here. Further, India Inc. is picking up unprecedentedly in Biotechnology & Pharmaceutics.

2. IT Sector
Credit goes to this sector for making India popular. Indian Software Engineers have given blues to their foreign counterparts. The sector’s unrestricted growth even during recession in the US shows its outstanding depth and sustainability. IT is one of the backbones of the Indian Economy as it earns valuable foreign exchange for the nation.



Lets focus on some of the salient issues beleaguering India:

1. Water Shortage
We are oblivious to the fact that some of our fellow Indians are battling acute shortage of drinkable water. Naturally, with a vast population we are expected to use water judiciously. We can also harvest the water poured down by the rain gods. In times of distress, we can utilize that to serve drought areas.

2. Power Shortage
Given that 75 percent of the total energy demands is fed by Thermal Power Plants which are responsible for effusing loads of green house gases into the atmosphere; its time to shift towards ‘greener’ alternatives. Hydroelectric Power Plants are better and cleaner sources, but non-conventional sources like solar, wind and tidal wave energy definitely make their case for at least intermittent power supplies to villages where none has reached till yet. Right now, the country is divided on use of Nuclear Energy as a ‘cleaner’ energy source. I shall not propagate it as beneficial at this point of time. Further we need to work on our technology to reduce huge transmission losses. Citizens need to optimize power usage.

3. Land Shortage
India has the dangerous privilege of being the fastest growing country in terms of population growth. This obviously has more pitfalls than benefits. The challenge is to maintain a balance so that various elements grow in harmony with the populace. But land doesn’t grow. So the law makers need to realize the importance of preserving arable land and resist from surrendering to tangible benefits. Allocation of cultivable land to industrial or SEZs construction should be discouraged. India is primarily an agricultural nation and it should strive to suffice all its citizens. Centre must ensure better livelihoods and special incentives for farmers.

4. Escalating Pollution
It’s a happy sight to see Mercedes or a Porsche roll out on the Indian streets. But knowing the contribution of fossil fuels to global warming, one would not like to see a lethargic rich dad driving his Merc to the nearby Sabzi Mandi. The public transport facilities for the vehicles owners should be pruned up so that they find it hard to resist taking a bus rather than their car. This way we can limit pollution levels to an allowable limit.

5. Role of the Media
Media needs to introspect its roles in the Indian democracy. Its attention on trivial matters of importance has made a mockery of its prudence. Hopefully, someday our media will rise like a phoenix and bring justice to its role.

6. Communalism
We are a country comprising diverse cultures, multiple religions and co-existing harmoniously. We need to keep that spirit going and build on the theme of humanitarianism. The paradigm shift from communalism to humanism will herald the end of many conflicts.

7. Literacy Rate
India is tottering at an unimpressive literacy rate of 61%. There is no dearth of Governmental initiatives but the there should be more transparency in the adequate utilization of funds and resources.

8. Poverty alleviation
Almost 25% of the population is BPL (Below Poverty Line i.e. earning below $1 per day). For them, micro finance facility should be made available. Also training should be provided to them to enhance their skills and be prepared to work in indigenous industries like handicrafts, food processing and manufacturing etc.

9. Rural Infrastructure
India has done well to strengthen its Urban Infrastructure, but its Rural Infrastructure is far from encouraging. Some basic amenities like schools, hospitals, police stations, post offices should be functional within the 10 km radius of every village. Panchayati Raj should play a role to ensure the prosperity for their village.

10. Corruption
Some time back, we heard one Mr. Bush saying that the burgeoning Indian Middle Class is responsible for the worldwide ‘inflation’. Many of us would like to view it as a compliment, but it wasn’t. It was a signal for the international companies (read US) languishing in losses to try their luck in India. Its true that Indian people are on the radar of most of the MNCs as their potential customers. This opportunity has to be grabbed by the Indian companies themselves.
How can that be possible? India has been rated as one of the worst places to start a business. This must be attributed to corruption which is deeply rooted in the bureaucracy and polity and I am feared it’s spreading its roots towards the common man too. For every request for an action, there is a protracted procedure to be followed which is ostensibly elongated by the lethargy and red-tapism of officials and ministers. A plausible solution will be to computerize the process thus mitigating possibilities of unwanted bottlenecks. To tread in this regard, essential computer training and learning projects must be undertaken by IT companies exclusively for Govt. officials. Let me put a case for you, Raman has applied for a passport in India. Its one year and he has still no idea about it. Had he been in US or any European nation, he would have received it within a week. The processes are streamlined there!



Resolution of these issues should collaborate to realize India’s potential as a prospective Super Power in all respects.

Nuclear Energy! Exaggerated ?

There's lots of hue and cry over the Indo-US Nuclear deal and numerous political implications resulting in deviation of interests from more relevant matters. Of all the interpretations made by our more illustrious fellow citizens, I feel the view that the deal is an indirect approach to exercize control over India's Strategic Nuclear Weapons Programme. India did not sign the NPT! The world is aware that India is breeding new technologies like PHWRs in nuclear science and concerned nations would like to have a look on it!

I feel that India can do without Nuclear Power Plants and is not required to compromise its security per se. Alternative and renewable sources of energy can be nurtured and energy shortfall can be alleviated by intelligent use of electricity by WE,THE PEOPLE

Jaane tu.........

A new era of film making heralds......

The director displayed dexterity and surprised all by his quintessential hold of the audiences' attention. As a result, a fantastic relationship with the viewers during the duration of two hours & 30 minutes was established and nearly every movie goer was left gripped to his seat.

At the end, I felt that the movie shouldnt end. When I was home, I felt that the director has shrewdly lessened 200 rupees from my pocket and there was nothing in the movie to take home about.

Perhaps,this is the perfect example of entertaining cinema and thus I think this movie gonna rock!!

Football! Enjoy playing !!

I played a lot of cricket during my childhood and at once thought of choosing it as a lucrative career option. But people around me convinced me to drive my thoughts towards finding myself a potentially safer alternative ie. as a Software Engineer. As time passed, my interest in Cricket waned and it began to look silly. I gained interest in games like football & TT. Of them, TT was hard to learn, but footballing came naturally.
Football seems to me the best sport for exemplifying team building. Even one player can be the Achilles heel for the team. With it, football releases the pressure on an individual and the developed synergy boosts the strength of the team. I believe good tactics enhances decision making and reduces risk failure.
Recently, I played in a corporate tournament in a team named 'Horizon'. We played our first match with a bench strength of only 11 players. We instilled confidence in each other's abilities and went on to rout the opposition by 4-0. The immense joy after winning was inexplicable. We went on to reach the finals where we lost! Everybody had some reasons with explanations to offer for the strategic failure.
It felt like a bolt from the blue, but we learnt a lot during the tournament.

Lets change!!

I remember expressing my intentions to write a novel to some of my friends! But I knew it would be difficult to arrange a time slot for same! At that time, Mahabub suggested me to start writing on a blog instead! To instantiate, he showed me some of the blogs. He also advised me to highlight issues plaguing mankind. He knew I was passionate about welfare of society. I liked the idea; deciding to start my blog!
I began with inspirational thoughts moving on to criticizing all and sundry. In the mean time, I requested my friends to post their comments. I wanted to involve as many people as possible.
The response wasnt encouraging. Instead some of them questioned my intentions! I think I should shift focus to my experiences and stop pulling others' legs!
From now on, the blog will be the medium to share my life's experiences; and my interpretations with occasional deviation..

Of Indian Government and associated jobs !

Its a dream come true if one cracks Civil Services, ES or even prestigious Public Sector Undertakings. But, candidly speaking, people vie for these jobs to realise perks and benefits associated with them. Little or no work due to various bottlenecks is an icing on the cake. There is a question mark on the selection procedure too! I presume that there is no bias in the candidate selection, I am talking about the abundant time they require to come to a decision! One can say the grapes are sour, because I failed in two interviews. But the truth is omnipresent ! Sometimes I wonder whether a survey regarding the lethargic mindset of Indians is practically true!

Blue Ocean! A Strategy!!

The company I work with has a peculiar strategy of taking its business forward. They call it Blue Ocean Strategy. In simple words, it means extracting business from unconquered areas, maybe using unconventional methods and more often than not; working in unprecedented domains. It brings profits no doubt, but the repercussions does not create any influence. It has proved to be an assured masterstroke to sustain market pressures, but I doubt whether it can create a market leader.
A leader has to surpass all obstacles, which the 'Blue Ocean'(BO) does not allow.
Companies like Infosys,TCS are well-known today because they excelled in the competition. Further, BO demands delving into unknown structure of work, which can be disturbing for employees.
I believe that winning competition win more clients, more than those created by 'BO'.

CAT after CAT

The year was 2006 when I was vacillating between my career prospects; I was already offered a job as a Software Engineer; thus there was minimal pressure to perform; But still I wanted to do something extraordinary. I had already made up my mind to enhance my technical knowledge as I was repentant at missing an IIT. To step further in this regard; I prepared for GATE and secured 94.45 %ile in first try,not bad for a beginner. I resolved to crack it the next year and fulfil my dreams of studying in IIT. But all my near and dear ones advised against my emotionally driven decision. They were convinced I was tailor made for Management. I wasnt. Still I analysed prevailing situations and headed towards a most sought after exam called CAT. There too I lacked in planning according to most of my friends, as I secured an average %ile of 94.63 which could not land me in a good enough college. But I was resolute and wished to join 'only' an IIM. Again, I vied for an unconquered dream and faltered by 2 percentile points to make to an IIT( Ya, I secured 97%ile in next GATE). Thats how it goes, if you are good ; you have to be good enough to make the cut! Now, due to the extended age limit of appearing in CAT, I can politely take CAT after CAT till I enter an IIM(he he). Never matters if it doesnt happen, one always learn something!

Life! A Celebration!!

Ever thought why I am living till date,I should have been dead years ago!
Well these thoughts crossed my minds at one stage of my life. That was a crucial stage where I decided to challenge myself to complete a normal life! I promised myself that whatever the circumstances,I am not going to get bogged down.
After all,we have only one life to live! That day remains the most significant day of my life till date because that day heralded a drastic change in my attitude. I shedded a bundle of 'ego' and began to feel the same mischievous mirth when people 'joked' at me. If one can laugh at himself, he can experience many 'precious' other things too.
Good times never sustains, even bad times don't! But remember, learning during bad phases is a precursor to good times ahead! Sometimes we feel that 'luck' has banished us, what we forget is that we expect too much from life.

News! The new source of Entertainment!!

How many of you have seen a standup comedian performing on your favourite news channel, or even an interview of participants of a popular Talent show! Well, almost everybody.
These are the new tools to increase TRPs of News channels,which are entangled in the fight to be No.1. The motives of these channels are to attract viewership, by hook or crook! Popping out the news about a celebrity's tumultuous life or comparing Khali to Lord Hanuman enhances their revenues! But in this rat race,they forgot their fundamental duties. They hesitate from covering issues perturbing the poverty-stricken,thus his voice goes unnoticed. It took a movie like RDB,to energise Media and pressurise judiciary to penalize perpetrators!
Lets hope,the Indian media is enlightened forever as soon as possible!

Why Cricket? Eh!

Little did anyone know that India's men Hockey team reached finals of Azlan Shah Cup after 12 long years. Did anyone celebrate this achievement! Rather people were concerned about the results of IPL matches!
Its a pity that one dont get recognition even after excelling in a prestigious tournament with a sizable participation of 7 nations. Compare that to the triseries triumph of the Indian Cricket team and the huge sum of money players were loaded with as a consequence. Seeing the deserted state of Indian Hockey, time has come where we need to encourage them to perform better! The character they have shown after the Olympics' Qualifying debacle must be applauded, especially by the media.

Literacy ! Come on !!

This word is disturbing Indian democracy like anything ! Inspite of some 'brave' attempts by the Union Government to educate one and all, India is still languishing at an unimpressive 61 % Literacy rate. The money inflow is not distributed upto the last mile and initiatives like 'National Literacy Mission' are left in the crunch. The problem aggravates in the densely populated states, where lesser mortals are supposed to be in dire straits. Credit goes to the deadlocks associated with Indian Bureaucracy and Polity.
We should realize how important is the spread of education, more than educating ourselves.

Agriculture! The deteriorating industry!!

Well, while reading this article many of my friends(including me!) would be relaxing in the comfortable environment of the AC,but I urge them to put an ear to the never shrinking shouts of penury.
These hapless people are none other but are very own farmers, who feed us with food based commodities. We cannot deny the arduous tasks put up by the farmer. But still, he struggles to make ends meet.
We, in parts, are responsible for this negligence ! We never care to look around whats happening around us. The problem lies in the fact that nobody wants to indulge in risky proposition and they take certain things(like agriculture) for granted ! Now, is the time to move to villages. The farms need the educated youth's discretion to increase its productivity. The farmer needs rewards (psychological and monetory) for his efforts. Declining rate of cultivable land is a concern. Setting up of malls and burdensome SEZs must be discouraged !

Rise of the Middle Class !

Often I wonder why India is so impoverished, where almost 25% people are below the poverty line. Then I realise that all the struggles that people endure in their rise to the Middle Class status is quickly forgotten and they greed for the coveted 'rich' status ! I want to stress that it's middle class which holds the key to the 'Developed' India and it should be sensible in squandering money. Rather, our 300 million plus 'middle' class can indulge in effective utilisation of money by initiating social objectives. Starting schools managed by society, for the destitute children is one such case.
Being honest is the key! The electricity crises looming large can be tamed if we become a little more tolerable of the heat and the cold ! Or if we remember to switch off heavy power consuming appliances in time! Water usage should be monitored too!
Times have changed, one cannot neglect the possible scenarios in future!