My Life ... My Journey

The Real Self

2011-09-22T01:39:00.002+05:30

In this era of globalization, one can easily connect with people living in different locations at ease. We may be very well versed with people we have never met in life but may be equally ignorant of the neighbor living next door. It's an age where we spend considerable time in virtual world as we do in the real world. The explosive growth of communication media has greatly impacted our life. Sometimes, it's very difficult to dissociate oneself from virtual world.So, people revere movie stars as Gods, news channels make and break governments, people sympathize with protagonist battling scheming vamps, or look for their marriage partners online. Today, for every real activity, there is a virtual counterpart. You can fight wars, manage business, sing, shoot, cook, plan family, travel to other planets, and even save humanity online.

So, what has led to so profound emergence of this virtual world? It's difficult to answer it precisely. But this could be a result of interplay of various factors. Firstly, the technological advancement has continually challenged the limits of human capability. It has broken barriers and made access to one another quite easy. Secondly, the growth of trade and commerce, has led to not only movement of goods and services, but people as well. They carry along with them their culture, ideas, and practices. The mingling of ideas has led to innovations aimed at achieving more with lesser labor. Another closely related aspect is availability of time. The technological advancement and innovation has left us with more time than ever. A person spends less time and labor on her/his chores with aid of technology; s/he also doesn't have to spend time looking for resources as they would be readily available at a nearby location thanks to global trade. One can also not ignore, the social and psychological factors. Humans have always pined for emotional support and achievement. They always want to recognized, loved, and be able to do more than they are capable of. The virtual world exploits this unfulfilled emotion, by allowing people to live in a new world, where they could choose rules of the game. The immoderate commercialization has fueled the growth of virtual world. Since, people see money in this, they are attracted to present others with their wished dreams.

Whether, this virtual world is creating an alter ego or enabling one to utilize his/her capabilities and skills is another question which needs some introspection and analysis. But there is no denying, that there is virtually another dimension to our life and may be our real self.

Democracy and Dissent

2011-01-31T13:01:00.000+05:30

As I write this post, a lot is happening in the world. Tunisia recently saw its people force its President to flee the nation and thus usher a new era of welfare and development policies. Egypt is following suit as thousands of people protest on streets against the President Hosni Mubarak who has become a dictator. The oppressive regime of 30 years has infuriated the people to rise against him. As of now, Mr Mubarak is holding to it and has been unrelenting to the demands of the protestors. There is a clampdown including disruption of internet, strict actions against protestors and any action that could intimidate the people. They are projecting a state in chaos if the Mubarak Government concedes to their demand. While the face-off between the two sides continue, we would have to wait and watch what comes out of this.

This leads to some serious questions. Was it some recent incidences which led to the current Egyptian revolution or was it a process of accumulated grievances. If the people had found the rule oppressive from early on, why did it take 30 years for them to raise their voices. What defines a true mass movement ? Is the current Egyptian struggle a mass movement ? How does a government differentiate when the dissent has spread enough among the people to allow the government function as it used to do.

In general, it also creates a dilemma among minds of people whom to support especially when it is difficult to differentiate between truth and lies. As diplomacy and corporate interests control the media, it is almost impossible to know what’s the actual sentiment on grounds. With internet made defunct, the authorities have eliminated whatever little voice the individuals had.

As the world view is concerned, most people are definitely concerned of human rights and empathise with the suffering masses no matter where they are. Democracy allows us to dissent with others’ views. It gives us a means to voice our opinions. However, it is also a tricky tool as the people in power interpret and use it according to their whims. Mostly, a majority view is considered supreme. However, a true democracy is one where there is rational discussion, everyone’s grievances are heard and a consensus is arrived where the whole society benefits. But sometimes, its the majority decision that is accepted by those in power. And this is where people are in a dilemma.

Should we support Pakistani majority which does not want any change in blasphemy laws or the liberals who find it against human rights?

Should we support the Kalahari bushmen who refused to move away from the game reserve where they have been living for generations or the Botswana government which wishes to use the mineral wealth beneath for the development of the nation?

Or more locally in India, should we support the government and the corporates who want to exploit the mineral wealth, the environmentalists and the tribal who are against destruction of natural habitat (something which is gradually diminishing in our tryst with development and nonchalance on environmental issues)?

Such cases point to the clash of the ideas. Development or environment, religious beliefs or a more liberal and secular society, the rights of one versus the aspirations of thousands.

However, we need not be disheartened because while democracy gives the right to dissent, it allows for consensus too. In most of these conflicts, informed, rational and empathic discussions could lead to a middle way – one which balances the aspirations of two sides. This consensus-building is of course difficult and one might interpret as failure of democracy in decision-making but it’s not a failure, rather a way of sustainable growth. Imagine how many people’s aspirations would have been crushed if we were not a democracy.

Thus, we need to strengthen our democracy and ensure no one is wronged. The starting point is of course dissent.

Do you disagree with me ?

Quizzing

2011-01-15T14:20:00.000+05:30

There was a time when I used to love quizzes. I used to answer the questions posed at me and I took pride in answering them. Soon I realized that I had decent knowledge about India but when it comes to world, I am as good as anyone. I did participate in few quizzes in school and won as well (not necessarily because of my contribution).

Nevertheless, I came to college and I actively participated in quizzes. Oh I know some answers, I helped my team get some score but every time I did not clear the preliminary round. It was sad but I did not lose hope. I persevered for a complete one year before realizing it was futile. I had to either get a partner whose knowledge complements me (world, sports, entertainment) or I had to raise my comfort level in the weaker fields. Unfortunately, I failed in both and lost interest in quizzes. Despite this, I did seldom frequent quizzes. After all these years when it's almost time to say goodbye to college, something unbelievable happened. We cleared the first round though by sheer luck and finished third in a tie (4 finalists). I know it's not great but still it was a refreshing moment.

One would wonder why I would recall these things here. It's a valid question and I do have an answer.

The theme of quiz was India and though we managed to qualify for the finals, one thing was clear. It's not sufficient to know just about India. In a global world, it would be foolish to call yourself aware if you are aware just about India. There are numerous things associated with the nation or have/ can have impact on the life or psyche of its citizens. Shutting oneself in seclusion is not a good choice. There is free flow of ideas, goods, people. With their intermingling, a new world is evolving. Its said "learn from others' experiences". Isn't it better to know what other countries are doing to solve persistent problems like traffic management, illiteracy, food security and development of their people. I believe there is lot to learn from others and in this process evolve solutions that would suit us as per the local situations.

The keyword here is innovation. Innovation does not occur if we close our minds. We need to free ourselves from prejudices and think how best we can solve the problems of society and become a great nation. Amid chaos all around, conflicting thoughts and ideas, a mixed sense of joy and dismay about our nation, the poem by Rabindranath Tagore aptly defines our aspiration :-

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake

Invasion of Internet

2010-09-21T01:46:00.002+05:30

As I set to write this post, two things are remarkable :-

It is after a long time I am posting on my blog. (Never tired of being lazy)
It may be a race against time as the internet goes in 12 minutes. (restrictions are omnipresent)

It is the latter I would talk about. Internet has coem a long way from its use as Darpanet by US Army to becoming a necessity of modern life. You no longer need special LAN wires to access it. It has become as ubiquitous as gossip. (comparison just for the sake of it ;) ) Even the mobiles can be used to access net.

The world wide web today allows us to be aware of what's new, gain information regarding specific fields, do research, stay connected with friends and family, play games, look for job to do invest money, do shopping, read books and what not. And because of the versatile nature of internet, it has assumed such a great place in our life.

Of course internet has its advantages. Who would deny it. But what amount of time we should spend online ? Well the answer may vary from 24X7, once a month to don't know. The reasons are obvious. The needs and desires of each person is different and so is the answer. But how do we decide the limit, one can't go on being on internet always (technically one can, a few crazy may even try for a world record).

the answer is tricky and no one else apart from us can give its answer. We have t ourselves decide how much time is acceptable and how much is required. Perhaps that can give us the range with which we can work. But self-control being a rarity, it is difficult to implement it. More often than not, we end up wasting time which we could have utilised elsewhere.

So if you are undecided what to do about the invasion of internet in our private lives, perhaps do a google search. hope it solves your problem ;)

Police Reforms

2010-06-13T18:37:00.007+05:30

India is an emerging superpower. It is expected to be the third largest economy in 2030 after China and US. It's definitely something to feel proud of. But will that pride be accompanied by true happiness. In 2030, India is expected to be the most populous country in the world. More than 6 decades after independence, we are still fighting the same problems of poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, malnutrition and corruption. We are the world's largest democracy and have set examples for the world to emulate. We have also in turn been good at absorbing and assimilating ideas, practices and technology from the world, from the people we have come in contact. While it is quite debatable to comment on whether we have imbibed more good things than bad, it is certainly true that we have not been smart enough to solve our problems effectively either through indigenous ideas or best of the world techniques.

The reasons are many. Some blame it on the huge population which nullifies whatever advances are made on the economic front, some on the lack of education which has prevented rural people to compete with their urban counterparts, some on the policies we adopted after independence and some on the system we inherited from the British. A lot of us credulously believe that we included the best laws and practices from different countries while framing our own constitution. But it would be a surprise that a lot of laws belonging to the archaic British era still remain enshrined in our constitution. While some of them like widow remarriage act, etc. definitely are good enough to retain, a number of laws pertaining to governance are obsolete in the present context. Remember the recent noise on Article 377 about rights of LGBT community.

I agree that the example considered may be controversial and debatable but there are laws like the Police Act of 1861 which definitely require a change in keeping with the current times when terrorism, insurgency, cyber crimes have emerged as new demons hurting the society. India appears 84 on the Corruption Perception Index, 2009 indicating that it is far away from being called 'least corrupt' as corruption-free nation would be a utopia ...

Police Reforms hence could help us solve a number of our problems. In 2006, Supreme Court issued some directives to the Centre on Police Reforms :-

Separate law and order from investigation
Set up Police Establishment Board for postings, transfers
Two-year tenure for DGP, SP, SHO
Set up National Security Commission for posting of Police chiefs
Set up Police complaints authority to look into public complaints against police officers in cases of serious misconduct
Set up state security commissions for laying down broad policies and evaluating the performance of the cops

Following this, the centre had decided to implement them in Union Territories. The states too were asked to implement them. But as usually happens, with some moments of media hype and public talk, the matter is now gathering dust. As I read from Kiran Bedi's interview, more than 4 lakh vacancies are existing in the system and as compared to UN standards of 222 policemen per one lakh people, India just has 120-130. How many of them serve the common man is again a question considering their large deployment for the VIPs. It is necessary to ponder over these issues if we are to prevent incidents like 26/11 from happening. Effective policing can prevent a lot of such events from happening.

With P Chidambaram at the helm of the affairs and his pro-reforms image, it needs to be seen if the government takes a stride in this direction. With none of the parties' electoral fate depending on it, it would be greatly dependent on political will and the vociferousness of the people on this issue. Until then, we would continue to be at the mercy of our leaders who believe in talks rather than 'karma' and availability of all resources including the homegrown ICT would continue to remain futile and unused ...

Separate Time Zones in India

2010-01-25T13:47:00.002+05:30

This discussion ensues from the recent report on demand of separate time zone for North-east.

A time zone is a region of the earth that has uniform standard time, usually referred to as the local time. By convention, time zones compute their local time as an offset from UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). Local time is UTC plus the current time zone offset for the considered location.

India currently has a single time zone compared with Russia's eleven time zones, the US and Canada's six zones, Brazil's four zones and Australia and Kazakhstan's three zones. China, however, is a notable exception with a single time zone. India's east-west span of more than 2,000 km covers over 28 degrees of longitude, resulting in a two hour difference in the sun rise and set across the eastern border and the Rann of Kutch in the far west.

Thus, is the demand for separate time zones in some circles. Academicians, youth, teachers, students and women organizations gathered recently to attend the open discussion on 'Separate Time Zone for Northeast' organized by K C Das Commerce College where they resolved to launch a campaign and submit a memorandum to the centre to place their demand for a separate time zone for Northeast region. This would enable them to observe Daylight Saving Time (DST). The total wastage of electricity at homes and offices of the region since independence due to following of single time zone is said to be to the tune of Rs 94, 000 crores. The participants rued the loss in productivity due to single time zone.

The Government not very lately has mulled over creation of separate time zones due to power crisis experienced by the country especially in summers. If implemented, it can aid in staggering the office and school timings by about 1-2 hours. This would spread out peak hours and reduce pressure on the electricity grids.

The main merit in having differential timing is that eastern States could advance their clocks with the early sunrise and avoid the extra consumption of energy after daylight hours. Besides, office timings in an eastern hub such as Guwahati or Kolkata could be earlier than say in Mumbai or Ahmedabad in the west, thereby staggering peak consumption timings.

In the late 1980s, a team of researchers proposed two or three time zones to conserve energy. In 2001, the Centre established a committee under the Ministry of Science and Technology to examine the need for multiple time zones. The findings, which were presented to Parliament in 2004, recommended continuing with the single time zone. Though the Government has so far resisted multiple time zones, provisions in labor laws such as the Plantations Labour Act, 1951 actually allow the Government to define and set the local time for a particular industrial area.

With the demand of separate time zones rising once again in Northeast, only time will tell if India will go on to adopt separate time zones just like its neighbor Bangladesh which has already advanced its time by 90 minutes compared to India. Bangladesh is using Daylight Saving Time with BST (UTC + 6) and BDST (UTC + 7) as compared to India's IST (UTC + 5:30). The move is expected to save electricity and encourage productive tendencies and to utilize sunlight better.

The counter arguments to this discussion – damage to unity of country, lack of uniformity. But if we want to increase productivity, this small rational step should definitely be considered. The government, educationists and media should clear the air and misconceptions in the mind of lay man and profess the need of this measure. With consensus built, there should not be any trouble implementing the idea.

Can it get any better (cheaper) ?

2009-11-05T21:44:00.003+05:30

The world must be envying India for its citizens owning mobile phones are in a state of bliss. Calls as cheap as 1 paise/sec and SMS expected to follow soon is a far cry from the early years of 21st century. When once, the customer had to pay hefty price for even incoming calls, the decision to make incoming free has changed the whole scenario. While Mr Raja allegedly involved in spectrum allocation scam may not be feeling 'princely', the mobile users surely would be.

There are some reasons why this tariff war is believed to last a little longer :-

The new license-holders who have already launched or are going to launch their telecom operations are giving the existing players stiff competition.
The proposed number portability system when launched would allow easy migration of customers from one operator to another
The Government's decision to reduce termination charges from 20 paise/min, which is the charge one operator has to necessarily pay to other for a call emanating from former to latter.
3G, Broadband, Wi-Fi are in their motivating customers to demand seamless connectivity at affordable prices
The Government's decision to cut the annual license fee contributing to lower operating costs fro telecom operators.

These factors are expected to work in favour of Indian customers for a couple of years till consolidation and stabilisation happens in the sector. Till then, aam aadmi will enjoy shahi thaat-baat.

PS:- Check out the quiz on right.

Before Windows 7, there was Indian 6

2009-10-30T01:15:00.002+05:30

This article which appeared in Economic Times on 29 October 2009 tells that at least half a dozen of top 25 in the world's largest software maker shows significant Indian contribution. Its not only Microsoft, but Indians have proved their mettle in almost every successful business and technology start-ups. Silicon Valley hosts one of the largest Indian tech-force.

Its not technology and business alone, Indians have shone in almost every field, ranging from spelling bee contests to music. The diaspora has carved a space for itself. It brings back the old debate of brain-drain. In this globalized world, its impractical to control flow of talent. Whether NRIs have done us more harm than good is a controversy in which I don't want to indulge. But it is true that we must identify the potential of our citizens and give them ample opportunities to hone it and benefit the society, nation and humanity at large.

From 'Vishwaguru' to an urge to become a knowledge economy, all depends on its citizens. Education for all will be an essential ingredient in fulfillment of this goal. Everyone must dream and turn dream into reality lest we keep boasting of 'Nobel Prizes' and 'Microsoft connection' ....

Lost in time

2009-07-28T19:47:00.004+05:30

Have you ever felt as if you are swimming unconsciously in an active sea where you can feel something happening around you but you feel detached from it as if in state of coma ? ...

I know it sounds awkward but I am sure there are many like me who must have felt something similar at one point of time or other. It may be some kind of delusion or psychological effect that one gradually slides into passiveness. You feel as if you are a pupa who has lost the will of coming out of cocoon. These moments might be quite troubling. You may want to overcome lethargy, but the comfort of inactivity pulls you back. You simply don't know what to do about this situation. Even your mind fails to answer your questions.

On a deeper note, perhaps one has slid into aimlessness. It may be momentarily. You may have certain targets to achieve but you know there is no urgency. And when this thought starts taking control over your mind and thought process, you fall into a state of hibernation.

While animals hibernate to protect themselves from harsh environment and rise again with new vigor, it could be pretty destructive for humans. Time is a very valuable resource in these times and this period of dormancy can badly affect your growth trajectory.

Thus, one must always prevent this from happening. As someone famously said, "An aimless life is no life at all".

PS:- The writer may still be suffering from the above mentioned disorder.

Left and Right blasted, Centre standing tall

2009-05-17T10:01:00.000+05:30

The general elections 2009 brought its own expectations, enchantments, disillusions, and uncertainty. The citizens of the largest democracy had many issues in mind while they decide what best suits there future. Some were responsible enough to utilise the opportunity of making decisions for themselves and the entire nation while others preferred to be 'Pappu' enjoying the spicy political news presented in form of raw entertainment (a feat only our media can achieve) from a distance.

With Election Commission banning exit polls during elections, the analysts and political parties gauged aam aadmi's mind by media reports about daily changing political formations, out of blue statements of netas, verbal duels, and the various permutation and combinations of factors(caste, religion, charismatic leaders and plethora of other local issues) leading to victory or defeat.
This all seemed to be even more fascinating at moments as compared to India's first love Cricket(IPL).

In a country with majority of population having the right to adult franchise being youth, the majority of candidates were well above retirement age. It should come as no surprise that a democracy whose motto is 'Satyamev Jayate' offers a choice of leaders from the from all hues and colors - corrupt, opportunist, communal, selfish, criminal, and illiterate. After all, its a free economy, consumer should have choices.

As is the case with IPL, people do not know until the last few minutes as to which team is going to win, no one could tell with surety who is going to come in power. Nevertheless, the exit polls after the elections predicted a hung assembly with the UPA taking a slight lead. But the complexities of elections are too difficult to understand even for ace mathematicians. A little swing in vote percentage can change the whole story. With NDA trying to gain allies, it seemed that the fight to gain power at the centre would go long after the elections are over.

Finally the day arrived. People watched, glued to the TV, as the trends and results kept changing faster than electronic meters on the News Channels. Not a surprise, meter and voting machines are both electronic !

Within two hours, it was clear that UPA was leading and by afternoon it had become known that the margin of victory was significant. While L K Advani's dream of becoming a PM were quashed, Congress got a sigh of relief with its exceptionally good performance. It came as a life-saver for Dr Manmohan Singh who became the second after J L Nehru to retain office for the second term. Left's bastions were conquered. Congress was able to destroy the hegemony of Left parties in West Bengal and Kerala with the help of local allies. The decision of going all alone in UP and Bihar helped Congress as it gained a significant 21 seats in UP. Rahul Gandhi, as usual was cheered by the party leaders who saw him as the PM. They calmed down only after one of the most influential ladies, Sonia Gandhi declared Manmohan Singh would remain the PM choice. BSP's desire of becoming the kingmaker and Mayawati's dreams for getting the Delhi throne did not come true at least in these elections. The Third Front vanished as quickly as it was formed. Influential Regional Satraps in the two mainstream parties helped improve their party's tally.
It became clear that the Left and the Right have got blasted while the Centre stand tall ....

The implications : Indian Corporate sector hailed the victory as a mandate for development and a stable government; L K Advani wished to resign as the Leader of the BJP; Congress dreams of revival as the young scion Rahul Gandhi aims to bring intra-party democracy.
A time of celebrations for those who won. A time of introspection for those who lost. A time of expectations for people of India who look forward to the new government ...

But the path ahead is not laden with roses. There are problems in our neighbouring countries. India will have to deal very cautiously and proactively even as China tries to extend its sphere of influence. The recession is not a thing of the past. Internal security, naxalism are issues to be addressed. Farmers are still committing suicide. A large number of people still live below poverty line. Crimes have been increasing year-by-year. Development, prosperity and harmony will not be easy to achieve but it is what the billion strong country expects.

Finally a word on China and India. We see China growing at a faster pace than India. China would be happy about it. But they should remember that we have achieved this growth in spite of an uncaring government. If we had a government with strong political will and development as main agenda, one can wonder what India's progress would be.

I think now is the time.

Trysts with Ubuntu

2009-05-08T21:30:00.000+05:30

These screenshots show the sleek, attractive ubuntu interface.

Jaunty Jackalope Dust theme.

Thoughts

2009-05-03T21:26:00.000+05:30

In the calm of the night
the tick-tick of the clock
increases and the time
lonely seems to fly by
collecting the accounts
of everyone's deeds

While humans are asleep,
their luck is decided
by the actions of the past
by the Creator of All

Freedom of action; freedom to use time
freedom to choose one's own fate
He is the judge, we are the players
blessed to live, the way we want

Thou shall waste thy precious time
But look o look! the time passes by ....

Sky has Fallen

2009-04-29T21:07:00.000+05:30

Though silence surrounds

Tranquillity is out of bounds

My heart is pacing

And my mind racing

Creating untamed dreams

Fantasy world it seems

Day or night, doesn’t matter

The world is in constant chatter

Time for oneself

Too precious but not rare

Opportunities are many

How many? ... Too many

Alas! They come and go in a flash

Desires ... sought or unsought

Whom they do not haunt?

Conscience goes wry

As we live in a world of lie(s)

The voice within – muted and fretted

Raises its head, to be crushed again

The eyes are blinded by sparkles of joys

Which are nothing but a part of Devil’s plan

And all that glitters is not gold

My senses are too drunk to feel that

And when the devil executes its final plan

The senses are back but to no use

As the lethal blow has been delivered

By no one else but myself, but myself...

The sky has fallen....

Starry nights ...

2009-02-27T13:51:00.000+05:30

It has been a while since i put up my last post.

I was busy for whole two months and didn't find time for it.

No way.

'Business' is something I would love. It comes to me like rains in a hot desert. Sign of happiness ... but wait am I accustomed to it ? Probably no and hence it becomes difficult to handle. When this happiness turns to euphoria, it may bring deluge like the one we saw in Barmer (Thar Desert).

But by God's grace I have not seen rains like that and I still yearn for these rains just like the thirsty desert.

And so when I looked at the sky in the night longingly, it immediately caught my imagination. I worked to express my love, my attachment to the night sky. It looks more splendid and mysterious than any pretty young lady who inhabits this planet. With twinkling stars and celestial bodies, nebulae, galaxies which appear like embroidery on her long flowing black attire, it is not strange if I were mesmerised by her charm.

I wrote a poem to her, a small gift, which though stands nowhere before her magnificence and splendour, has come from my heart.

I have been quizzotic all this while thinking what she thinks of me ... is my creation worthy ... whether the life I am leading is the same I would like to have ... have i got lost in my dreams and fantasy...

After all, life is not what comes to you, it is what you make of it. There are unexplored vistas and avenues of my life. I still have to unleash my creativity.

Wise men weren't wrong in saying 'The most difficult thing in life is to know thyself'

But my life has to go on. I have to continue my journey and trysts with challenges and opportunities.

A big surprise is awaiting me ...

PS : You want to see my poem ?

Welcome 2009

2009-01-01T23:44:00.000+05:30

A very happy and prosperous new year to all.

With a new year, it is a time for resolutions and changes. Only time will tell how many of these are kept, it has been a conventional exercise. Though everyone wants to lead a better and more satisfying life, taste more success and get rid of some bad old habits, not everyone is able to free self from the cobwebs that have settled around him/her. Does everyone actually needs to go through this overhaul or it is just another attempt of aping those self-styled perfectionists. Though the issue is surely debatable, its not wise to go discussing it threadbare at this moment.

2008 would remain scratched in the memories of Indians for long. After all, a lot of unusual things happened. While the terrorists who bombed stealthily the arteries of India came out full frontal exposing how vulnerable aam aadmi is, India progressed on other fronts like launching chandrayaan or winning 3 medals in Olympics. The recession which started from US had its side-effects felt in India too. The political drama as usual flourished in South Asia with whole world experiencing it than never-before.

Good or Bad, however you may perceive the bygone year, it is undeniable that the coming year poses both challenges and opportunities to the world, India and aam aadmi in general. Both the risks of accidental destruction of this fragile nature and the hopes of finding cure to a number of problems have increased. A lot will depend on how people choose their options. We have the option of becoming more Eco-friendly and going for sustainable development or to bring doom in our frenzy.

A personal message for the youth who seems to be losing hopes of a bright future in current scenario ... We should not be discouraged by the situations we are in, rather use them to our better advantage. It is evident that Indians have created fortunes out of virtually nothing. We have the ability to turn the waste into gold. Our perseverance, toil, determination and Indianness will always help us in fighting whatever challenges life puts in front of us. This is not he time of procrastination but time of giving a chance to our better thoughts, our creativity.

Wishing that this new year harbingers glory, success and happiness to this nation and whole humanity, let each of us get back to work.

Terrorism and India

2008-11-27T12:15:00.000+05:30

This post comes amidst the terrorist attack on Mumbai taking a toll of more than a hundred lives. The terrorist have been killing innocents every now and then and the Indian government has proved to be good for nothing in tackling this issue.

They do not realise how much harm are they causing to the nation by soft-pedalling the issue and even endorsing them. The terrorists could have done the country good by killing these politicians who have no concern for ordinary lives.

The information agency has failed miserably to say the least. No place in the country is safe. People don't know whether they'll be breathing the next moment. Even tourists who used to throng the country with a perception of it being a lively, hospitable and beautiful country are now discouraged by the endless series of such terror strikes.

While on one hand, this youngest democracy aspires to become a powerful nation and influence international issues by seeking a permanent seat in UNSC, its failure in handling domestic matters raise doubts about its credibility.

I could just hope that truth dawns over the eyes of the people and they rise above petty issues of caste, creed, religion or region and aspire to work towards making India a secure, prospering, habitable democracy.

Shooting the dragon's eye

2008-08-11T12:25:00.000+05:30

This is a moment for all Indians to feel proud of Abhinav Bindra. The son of the soil has won a gold medal in 10 m air rifle in Olympics. This is by far the first individual gold for India in Olympics. With low hopes from our sports contingent, this comes as a nice surprise. While the other ace shooters disappointed us from day 1, this gold shows that we do have the potential of competing against best in the world.

But the ecstacy of gold should not make us forget that our sports performance still remains lacklustre with tiny nations like Kenya, Iran and Ireland winning more medals than us. In sports, the two great civilizations are at extremes. On one hand, the host nation is tipped to be at no. 1 slot and on the other, a great democracy is happy and satisfied with a few medals. The 1.3 billion strong nation places sports on a low priority. It is this developing nation where a few good performances bring so much money to the players that they forget all about sports.

Not to sound pessimistic, I sincerely hope India wins more medals and we honor more heroes. (see Poll).The opening ceremony in Beijing was spectacular, though I didn't get the opportunity to watch it live. The Communist government had worked a lot to present before the 4 billion viewers watching this ceremony, a modern, vibrant and friendly China. Whether it succeeded in its efforts is another issue, there are a few lessons, our country (officials visiting China solely for this purpose) could learn to make Commonwealth Games 2010 a memorable experience for visitors.

I recently read an article indicating that English is still a problem for Chinese. Thankfully, we Indians enjoy comfort in English. But is English-speaking people all we could present to tourists ? When one looks at London, New York or Beijing, s/he is mesmerised by serene water surrounding the city. But if we were to look in Delhi, the city hosting the Commonwealth Games 2010, one is reminded of the sorry state of Yamuna. The work on integrated transport system is still to be completed and so is the sports infrastructure. Hope good sense prevails over government soon and save us from shame.

Olympics reminded me of a trailer, I saw recently watching 'Singh is Kinng' (an entertaining movie slated to break all box office records ). The Bollywood has certainly expanded its domain worldwide with increasing percentage of earning coming through overseas. The trailer I mentioned is of another movie of akki, to be released by end of this year. CC2C (Chandani Chowk to China) as it is called on the face of it looked nice to me . Waiting to watch this movie and see the two great civilizations meet.

For now the show is on in Beijing ...

PS :- I am not very good at sports though I would like any other Indian wish India to win more medals.
PPS :- India v/s China, is a topic, I have always been interested in since Atal Bihari Vajpayees's Shining India times. I would like my readers to comment on it.
PPPS :- You can probably expect a new post by 'स्वतंत्रता दिवस'

Confidence (e)motion

2008-07-24T12:51:00.000+05:30

Warning

The views expressed are writer's own and may have nothing to do with readers' views. All allegations and complaints are therefore strictly objectionable.

Perhaps the whole world was looking at Indian parliament, which was set to decide the fate of UPA led government. The discussion on confidence motion brought in by Prime Minister on issue of Nuclear Deal with US saw some of the lowest moments in Indian politics.

Firstly, why was the confidence motion brought in ? The Left parties under the leadership of Prakash Karat withdrew support from the government labeling nuclear deal as a blow to country's independent foreign policy. People have clearly seen the real face of Hippocratic leftists. Their ideology is itself questionable. They have supported the government all through and opposed all its moves at the same time. When the inflation grew at close to 12%, these people didn't withdraw support. When the farmers of Vidarbha were creating suicides, they didn't speak. They didn't speak when the coveted 'navratnas' were suffocating. They babble a lot, but unfortunately without substance.
Their double standards becomes more evident in the state they are ruling. While the liberalisation and industrialisation in West Bengal saw the bloodshed in Singur and Nandigram, the same people weren't ready for it to be implemented at the national level.

The Congress has long lost its sheen. Even Sonia Gandhi, who hears her inner voice failed to hear the cries of common people. PM Manmohan Singh who was more comfortable in being a puppet in hands of Her Highness saw a friend in George W Bush. Clearly, the economist SMS was missing not only from the sms jokes but also in political reality. The young scion of Nehru-Gandhi family toured a lot, met a lot of people but alas, had he done more than making promises.
And if one starts counting all wrongdoings of esteemed ministers viz., Arjun Singh, Ramadoss, Shivraj Patil, et al, this post can go on...

The BJP under LK Advani and Rajnath Singh is not the same as was under Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Once it lost power, it has been focussing on all trivial issues and missing on those that matter to aam aadmi. It has failed to question government on inmportant national issues. Had it not been, the parliament would have voted on issues of inflation and internal security.

And with all these parties using politics to appease their vote-banks and to capture power, the aam aadmi, as always is left cribbing for the situation he is in. And, of course, they won't raise voice over whatever wrong is going and blame it all on politicians.

Lastly, as i remember an aam aadmi's message on a news channel

We do not deserve freedom, we deserve to be ruled (again)...

PS:- This is not a China-sponsered article. Their progress is purely because of their own effort.

PPS:- As per our acceptance of modern culture, we have become shameless to be ashamed of our politicians

PPPS:- To avoid allegations of plagiarism, i owe all 'ps pps ppps ...' to M2G

Incredible !ndia

2008-07-07T10:25:00.000+05:30

2 months ...

What else can you expect from a lazy man ?

But let me tell you, I am lazy enough to admit being lazy .....

But a lot happened in these two months, isn't it ?

Crude Oil prices reached $146 a barrel
Domestic petrol and diesel prices were raised
Inflation reached 11.63%
Price-rise + Nuclear deal = tension to Central govt.
Left parties ready to withdraw support with SP taking its place
BJP eager to fight election announces its first candidate-list
Land grant to Amarnath Shrine Board creates tension
Protests and bandh disrupt normal life
Curfew imposed in Jammu and Indore
The in-form Team India loses to Pakistan(Super 4) , Sri Lanka(Final) in Asia Cup
Summer skipped with monsoon arriving as early as May in Delhi
The preponed monsoon harms mango crop
Aam aadmi eats tasteless aam
Quota & Kota - KKya hoga IIT kka ?
I 6 months Bollywood ka nikla diwala
reality shows ki baadh Kkyonki Kekta bhi hai taiyaar

Aisi hai Khahaani Hamaaray Mahabharat Ki .

Now what does aam aadmi has to do in it all ?

Well we'll return after a short break.
Till then keep watching 'Incredible India'.

PS : Third eye :

un año en IIT

2008-05-17T12:20:00.000+05:30

My 2nd sem has ended and that marks the completion of one year at IIT Roorkee. Evey year lakhs of people vie for a few seats in the most prestigious institutes of the nation. Of course, this time there are more seats with 3 new IITs coming up but still JEE remains the toughest exam for undergraduate studies.

But its 1 year 1 month and 9 days past JEE and my life has undergone a paradigm-shift. First of all as i stated in my earlier posts, i didn't perform well in JEE and came here to IIT Roorkee. i made new friends while we stood in queues in order of our room numbers for 2 short hours daily (short - of course our legs started paining, but talking to each other let time pass by) . One of them is HHH whom i met while interacting in English (amid talks mostly conducted in Hindi) and i really like one of his initial comments.

You speak good British English with a little American accent

(Thanks 4 ur comments M2G)
Another looked to be a teddy-bear who was quiet and spoke mostly against the atrocities committed by authorities in making us stand long. Later I came to know he liked listening English music, which i didn't much. Of course in his company I started liking Enrique, LP and stuff. Soon the bombshell had to explode, he showed his real persona which broke his image of an innocent guy. What exactly, I best leave it to him.

Teaching became more of sleeping. I confess that I slept in all subjects except Behavioral Science (why, probably she was the only female and interesting teacher). Thermodynamics, that was one subject in which I slept through all lectures without exception.

No more on teaching stuff.

Sports faster than a - I had initial interest in going sporty and I gave selection trials for Basketball NSO but couldn't make it. Nevertheless I went to play in evening though the initial interest depreciatedTGV.

Bakar - This is an integral part of IIT. It actually means nonsense gossipping for hours together though it may be productive in some rare cases. We discussed from lack of girls in IIT to rock and profs and.........
And this is going to remain an integral part of our IIT life.

Chapo - another term from IIT lingo. Made from Chai and Pakoda, it now literally means treat. Whatever it be in our canteen or in Hotel Prakash or... Seniors ethically entrusted with the job of providing chapos to juniors perform their duty vigilantly.

Of course gaming is a passion in IITs. i am not talking about outdoor games. It is Counter Strike (CS), Age Of Empires (AOE) game on LAN. People are more staunch devouts of gaming though they may never visit temple except during exams.

I learnt a lot in this one semester. I can now design websites, can pass time on orkut et al or in Bakars. One more important lesson is to take care of mess times lest you miss on your meal. So I better be going and update it later, though you may always eat outside.

How situations affect your life

2008-04-22T17:17:00.000+05:30

It was the last-to-last weekend, when i was going home(Delhi) by bus. I sat beside a person who looked young and better than other fellow passengers. We didn't talk to each other for quite some time. But when you are travelling alone, you don't have much to do and you chat with your fellow passengers. The same happened with me and we started talking. He was training in IMADehradun and going to his home Jaipur (coincidence !). He further told me he lived in MalviyaNagar (another coincidence !!). Of course, our houses didn't have to be same. So our chatting got noisier. we started comparing life in IIT and IMA. He told he was going on a reserved leave. He didn't tell me the reason that time. He e did his graduation in Electrical Engineering in JECRC, Jaipur. He worked in Infosys for two years. But that life didn't excite him and he went for Indian Military Academy, the life he found charming. It was nearly 2 1/2 months. I was surprised at it. Why would a person having a secured comfortable job in an IT major relinquish that life and go for a strict, discipline and demanding life. He said, its simply a matter of perception, how you take things. As far as I am concerned, army discipline is something not for me.

It was a long journey, or say was made longer by the traffic-jams which caused a delay of 3 hours. Meanwhile, he told me about his life in IMA. Their day started at 4 and had to be ready for daily parade at 4:15 sharp, fresh and bathed. Rolling, crocodile-jump, monkey-jump and what not, the punishments were taxing though they sounded humorous during conversation. He told me about Mussoorie Night where in the chilly winter night, they have to bring a bucket filled with tap-water and bath spoon-by-spoon watching the bright lights of mussoorie on hill-top.amazing !He told me they had to run 60 kms a day with 75 kg of load on their back. The most amazing thing he told me about his stay was that his waist -size reduced from 34 to 29 and lost weight from 90 kg to 60 kg in 2 months. They aren't allowed to go out of campus. Ragging - hitherto common word has a different aspect there. The officers if find GCs( Gentleman Cadet, as they are called) listening attentively to lectures, ask their seniors " kyabaat hai, inhe free kyo chhod rakha hai ?" and if they are found sleeping, they are punished as obvious. 'Double disadvantage' !!

Almost everyone of us would find life without a mobile impossible, but its strictly banned in their campus. No laptops, no music system above 10 W, which means you can only listen to radio. Of course, they have screening of movies, but you have to dress-up appropriately full with a suit and tie. Once you get in, you can't go out until the film has ended. No indiscipline (no talking) otherwise you have officers, who watch the movies from box, ready to ask you to roll between the seats. Its not all bad, he says. He learned swimming within a week. And was learning Horse-riding too. They have to compulsorily opt for sports as 'novices'. His seniors had asked him to reduce at least 4kg weight in order to go for under 56-category lightweight boxing.

Food- after the arduous work, anything you get to eat would be tasty but of course, they are provided with good food. But don't forget your manners even while eating. He told me about one incident when he took pudding in his plate by hands instead of using a spoon. A senior noticed it and asked him to sit beside him. he asked him to put pinch of salt in pudding and eat a nibble. Then add more salt and take another nibble and in this way he had to finish that pudding. After finishing his salty pudding, senior went asking him to take another pudding, this time no salt thankfully !

He got used to this life and had no plans for stopping in between his 18-month long training. But something else was destined. He developed a hairline fracture in his hand while playing volleyball. After a week-long gap, when he went again to play, he got hurt at the same place. Also he developed severe back pain. He went to the SHO where he was asked to leave as they thought, back pain was an excuse to get medical leave. Since, he couldn't continue with back pain, he decided to quit. it wasn't an easy decision for him, but he had no other option. Once you are out of IMA, there is no way of getting in except starting afresh. Also he had to pay Rs 1.5 lakh to IMA in order to relieve him. This was because of the cost incurred by government in training of cadets. Now he plans to go back to core electrical engineering or perhaps back to software development.

In life there are situations, you have little control and they change your routine life and make you take a new way. It may be for good or bad. But one thing that's for sure is, it happens to everyone somewhere in your life.

And that is why, with its secrets hidden, life is a journey everyone has to undertake ...

Reservation : "I'm Lovin' it"

2008-04-11T11:25:00.000+05:30

Thanks! Mr Arjun Singh

We are very grateful to you for making our higher educational institutes crippled. You'll be greatly rewarded with votes. US would be happy to see more Indians coming to their institutions for higher studies, taking them out of economic recession. The 'privileged' OBCs whose families will forever reap the benefits of quota will bless you wholeheartedly. You have done a job which nobody else could do. You have your best plans for making IITs and IIMs lose their sheen and go to the rock-bottom when it comes to quality education worldwide. Thank you for limiting the majority 'general category' to a 'minority category' in educational institutions. Thank you for stuffing twice the number of people in same lecture rooms. Thank you for haunting the nation with 'Mandal II'. Thank you for 50% reservation in total of 40 seats in AIIMS. You're the champ!

But we won't complain

when you have your favourite reserved category PAs and officers to work under you.
when the aspirations of thousands of JEE and CAT aspirants are washed away in tears.
when a time will come that there will be 0% quota to provide.
when a general category student getting 99.8percentile is not selected in IIM, and his seat given to a reserved category student with 89 percentile.
when ministers, bureaucrats and the creamy layer continues to enjoy the fruit of reservation for generations.

Nobody will complain - general category, non-creamy layer reserved category, minorities. China will award you with the highest honor for this reservation which would help their economy.

Congratulations! Enjoy the party. We'll make sure that our sighs and cries make good music to your ears.

Congratulations....

8 April

2008-04-09T17:35:00.000+05:30

What's so special about it ?
Most of you won't find anything great.Even I was perplexed when today morning, one of my friends wished me belated Happy Anniversary.
Anniversary ... what ?

Yesterday was certainly not my birthday. And finishing the mid-term exams certainly does not qualify as an anniversary.

Seeing my bewilderment, he asked me what i was doing that day the last year.(This is typical of IIT where people give you clues but not let out the answer until u have exhausted all your brain-power. Use ur brains, buddy!). I guessed it, right. And many of you might have too, so i remain mum as of now.

Talking about yesterday, i had some great papers. On the other hand, i started this blog which reads My Life My Journey. Well a lot of things have happened in past few years and my life has moved through different roads with a number of turns and diversions.

Till 2006, i was in a school in Jaipur. It was a nice school and i was getting a good coaching for IIT-JEE at a reputed coaching-centre. Everything was going smoothly, when around March end, my father got transferred to Delhi. i had 2 options - either to stay in Jaipur and complete my XII or move to a totally new place with my family. i gave a lot of thought to it. some people advised, you would be spoiling your XII and JEE moving to a totally new place where you'll have to start everything from scratch. Others said, Delhi is a nice place to be in XII and the whole family would be able to stay together. i went for the latter not because i would not have been able to stay with my family or that my career prospects would have improved in Delhi, but just because my heart said i should go that way.

It was little difficult to get admission to a reputed school as the admission period was already over(i joined in mid-April) and they don't usually take a person in XII. but i managed to get admission to a nearby school, satisfactorily-good though not as reputed as likes of DPS, on basis of a good academic record. i joined FIITJEE for coaching of JEE. it took some time to get used to the school, classmates and Delhi as such. in FIITJEE there was not much of a problem, as i joined 1-year classroom program and all the students were new. life went on and came JEE.

Because of a series of tests, I was sort of prepared for it . my examination centre was Venkateshwara College, South Delhi. my heart was pounding hard. there was tension all around. the invigilator came and distributed the answer sheets on first bell and sealed question-papers on next. we filled the particulars and read instructions. questions of 3,4 and 6 marks.no numericals.but what was there inside, was still unknown. With the sound of another bell, we were asked to tear the seals. i opened the question paper, had a look at the questions and found it was perhaps a bit easy. i attempted the paper and thanked God for such an easy paper. i had lunch after the first paper and came out giving the second paper. As i reached home, i was sort of happy that the paper was good. after all, i had dreams of making it to top 100. in evening i went to FIITJEE centre where analysis of paper was going on. As i checked the solutions made by them, i was shaken. i realised i had just committed a blunder. i made a lot of very silly mistakes which costed me dearly. i just could not imagine what was going to happen next. My score was predicted to be 281/486. so many marks lost in silly mistakes and such a score in an all-time easy paper. in an exam where there are on an average of 30 people with same score, what rank should i expect? would i just lose all my hard-work and persevered effort of 2 long years? i was told that though i would make it to IIT, my rank would be somewhere around 1500. under 100 and 1500; what a contrast ! I wasted almost 4 days thinking over it and started preparing for AIEEE, though not so heartily. Other entrance exams came and went. Then the result came and i had got AIR 1520. though people were happy, i knew in my heart, i could not come up to the expectations of those who i really love.

i got Mechanical Engineering at Roorkee, that's the best it gets. And now when 1 semster is already over,i look back, i have passed an important phase of life.

Shifting to Delhi was certainly not a major factor behind my poor performance. It was lack of accuracy and my state of mind during exam which was responsible. I met a lot of people, made new friends in Delhi and at Roorkee, and i am happy about it. Perhaps my life would have been different had i taken some other decisions. but i do not have any grudge against my life. my life is what i made it.

Now u might have got why i was wished 'Happy Anniversary'. That day made a lot of difference in life of so many people, perhaps yours too.

But our life isn't over. After all life is a journey, travel it happily.

2008-04-08T21:57:00.000+05:30

Hi ! everyone
those who i know and also those whom i don't know

Blogging is the buzzword today. Some want to tell stories of their life while some simply write crap to bust their stress. i also wanted to share my feelings with the whole world not only whom i know but who live far away from me but can connect to my experiences.

well ! not boring you, i start....

firstly, why my blog URL reads as it is? primarily due to unavailability of common URLs and secondly you might come to know after reading my posts.

i chose to start this day since my mid-term exams ended today itself and i didn't have something great to do. for those who don't know me, this is my description:

Name: The One (why? ... guess urself)
College : IIT (yeah! i made it to IIT)
Species: Homo Sapiens (officially) , unofficially UHLO (Unidentified Human Like Object) i.e. what my friends think of me, perhaps an alien !

and rest of it you'll come to know

Well i won't say anything else in this post but ask you to go through my next post to start( This time for sure, I'm going to start )