Blogging has been an interesting hobby and a satisfying avocation to be involved in. Recently I recieved a mail from a netizen suggesting that I popularise my blog. Thanks buddy. I shall try that.
This partucular mail made me think on my blog again - in fact I read through the blog spending some time on it and thought I did a decent job of compiling my thoughts.
Some particular favourites of the readers turmed out to be (my criteria has been reader mails or comments in the comments section or hits on my counter)
** one on the business of coaching classes which although written under certain amount of anger turned out to be quite analytical on second thoughts.
** A recent one on the IAS exam also recieved attention from some readers
** Though I am not a regular movie reviewer but the two reviews I had put up on bollywood movies Lage Raho Munna Bhai and Dhoom-II received quite a few mails/comments from the blogosphere. I must say however that the one I wrote on a hollywood movie Casino Royale did not receive any feedback at all - to my surprise and disappointment.
** A couple of travelogues one of a pilgrimage and another to Darjeling also generated some interet.
While some other posts that I felt really good about after writing but which could not attract much attention like a series on whether there should be more engineering colleges or the one on a set of differently able children and the one on the mess behind CAT Analysis.
My thoughts then moved towards what I should term as lost posts - posts that I wanted to write but could not really sit to write theme down for eg.
** I wanted to continue on my musings from a pilgrimage - wrote a couple of them, rest still await my attention
** I had also thought of writing a set of posts on my Darjelling tour but could complete just one.
** There were quite a few that I started to write on but half through deleted them because the idea became stale but I could not complete them - so here are some that I would have written on but finally did not
1. In suppot of Ragging -
Supremem court passed a judgement making it mandatory for college management to check ragging; I am sure the court has its reasons and is rational about it. However as far as I am concerned - I am not just OK with the idea of ragging but also the fact that a lack of ragging would take a lot of fun (and dare I say learning) out of the student life. I believe that in our country ragging has not yet taken dimensions that it should require such serious deliberations and checks.
2. Politics over President -
is not such a bad idea. The competitive pulls and pushes can ensure that the president acts in the larger good. A person at the president's post who is branded as belonging to a particular lobby shall always remain under the scanner which is a good thing for a democracy.
3. Mayawati wins UP -
and the woes of UP continues unabetted. A state that can prosper to compete the best fo countries is mired in caste politics and the people are simply confused as to who they can look upto. Mayawati in UP is good news for nobody.
4. Cheeni Kum -
A delightful movie - crisp, intellectually stimulating, simple (no high decible music, no high pitch melodrama), sensitive and blunt at the same time, fresh, simply adorable. Amitabh, Tabu at their best. I would have written a review had I not been so occupied at the time I watched it. Except for the last half hour when most simple movie directors get confused as to how to end the movie - everything about the movie is too good. The beauty of the movie is that it runs on three characters all very well developed.
Finally, a resolve (more to myself) that I shall try and write more regularly.
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Sunday, March 25, 2007
So India Lost the world cup... or did it?
In cricket that is. Did we lose the world cup??
Going by the reactions of fans, Indians in general and media "analyst" we lost the world cup badly.
This line of thought of course assumes that we were quite close to winning (if we had not already won) the world cup. But both the losses - one against Bangladesh and other against Sri-lanka quite convincingly proved that we weren't even serious contenders for the cup.
Yeah!! I know expert analysis suggests that we had a balanced team - balance between star and starters, batsman & bowlers, in form and out form players etc. etc. But where is/was the teamwork something that enabled a very moderate Indian team in 1983 to win the cup - yes the world cup.
Lets concede it - cutting through the media hype, through the advertising hype and through the cricket administration's own hype - we were beaten by better TEAMS - yeah !! they are far better teams because they play to win the match - not to secure their seats in the next squad.
So that is the story of Cricket World Cup - 2007. India did not lose it. They (sorry we) never played to win it. Do read this excellent piece by Vikas in the Times of India.
Where do we go from here??
Depends who "we" are. For the sake of Indian cricket - I pray that Indian cricket fans actually get (though irrationally) over with this religious fascination with cricket. That will make lesser money to flow in the game. This I believe is the antidote cricket in India requires - less money. Its almost like an over enthusistic doctor prescribes an overdose of antibiotics to a patient. A more patient doctor offers the patient no treatment at all for some time to balance it over.
Going by the reactions of fans, Indians in general and media "analyst" we lost the world cup badly.
This line of thought of course assumes that we were quite close to winning (if we had not already won) the world cup. But both the losses - one against Bangladesh and other against Sri-lanka quite convincingly proved that we weren't even serious contenders for the cup.
Yeah!! I know expert analysis suggests that we had a balanced team - balance between star and starters, batsman & bowlers, in form and out form players etc. etc. But where is/was the teamwork something that enabled a very moderate Indian team in 1983 to win the cup - yes the world cup.
Lets concede it - cutting through the media hype, through the advertising hype and through the cricket administration's own hype - we were beaten by better TEAMS - yeah !! they are far better teams because they play to win the match - not to secure their seats in the next squad.
So that is the story of Cricket World Cup - 2007. India did not lose it. They (sorry we) never played to win it. Do read this excellent piece by Vikas in the Times of India.
Where do we go from here??
Depends who "we" are. For the sake of Indian cricket - I pray that Indian cricket fans actually get (though irrationally) over with this religious fascination with cricket. That will make lesser money to flow in the game. This I believe is the antidote cricket in India requires - less money. Its almost like an over enthusistic doctor prescribes an overdose of antibiotics to a patient. A more patient doctor offers the patient no treatment at all for some time to balance it over.
However, like you will find so many wishes on my blog that go unfulfilled - I am again asking for too much. So till then its about money honey.............
Friday, February 23, 2007
Gems of my country
Shailesh is an Engineering graduate from MP, 5'9'' tall, is handsome with a distinct presence of his own, comes from a well to do family, even politically well connected. He is rash, blunt, well versed with current affairs and one with a distinct but studied opinion of his own on every issue. He has a great hold on Hindi Language and is particularly keen on Foriegn affairs of India. He is currently persuing an MBA from a leading (& I actually mean leading) B-School of India. He is also angry in general on a host of issues that touches today's India.
Devesh is an arts graduate from a small village in Bihar, speaks fluent and confident English in measured words, comes from a lower middle class family where the head of the family devoted his entire life to teach uninterested students affected by wretched poverty, His family has a younger sister whose marriage is his responsibility, has a devoted wife and a kid both of whom he adores.
Prince is another Engineering graduate who after his engineering received a call from various IIMs for GD/PI and finally achieved selection to IIM Calcutta. He joined the institute but left in a couple of months time because he received a call from the UPSC to appear in the mains exam. He is currently trying to get addmission into a top B-School again.
What is common to these three seemingly very different people - they all have burning desire to do something for the country and its people. All three dreamt of becoming an IAS officer. All three of them gave four of their best years to preparing and giving the exam. All three did not make it into the academy.
No, I am not saying that UPSC or the exam is corrupt or biased - in fact - I feel that generally they are not. But what the hell they deserve to be IAS just because they have raging fire to make a difference to their country and its people. No, they are not dumbos - they are sharp, one of them is currently doing his MBA at XLRI, another left IIM Calcutta for clearing UPSC and the third has calls from the best B-schools in India (XLRI, SP Jain, MDI, NITIE etc.). Why would government not want them in their teams ahead of a few who are possibly a notch better then them on subjects but may be no where near in their desire to make India a shining one. I believe that even if govt. does not have a post for them - they still need to be an IAS. They will make a difference because they want to do it from inside.
Something is fundamentally wrong with the concept of the IAS exam if we are unable to find out people with such desires and bring them in the main stream of our governance and administration.
Till then the Government's loss is private sector's gain. They are pursuing MBA so that they can still make a difference to a substantial part of the society by affecting those affected by their company or their profession. However, private sector wants profit and so they have twin objectives to meet at work. And I am not even talking about home. They are behind their cadres - they have lost four years to an excruciatingly slow process of evaluation where the decision on the first years process is taken after the person has already appeared in the next year's process and may have even cleared the first step to it.
While these three are still fighting - keeping the desire inside alive, not many has the same zeal. They capitulate to frustrations, some are confused beyond imagination, others live a meagre life and I know of some of them. Even these three need lot of counselling every now and then to refocus. They have a tendency to fall back into memories of those four years and in their weak moments they come out with lines like
"I know so many IAS officers - who know much less then I do"
"I still say that if I had become an IAS I could have helped so many people, my village, my area"
"Sometimes I feel that I have lost my life to the UPSC, today I do not offer even a decent life to my family when I compare them to families of my friends who graduated and joined jobs immediately"
"So many people join the IAS to earn money - so why won't they take me if I want to work for my country"
What can one suggest than a lame "you don't have to be an IAS to serve your country". But they deserve to be an IAS of my country - is somebody out there listening??
Devesh is an arts graduate from a small village in Bihar, speaks fluent and confident English in measured words, comes from a lower middle class family where the head of the family devoted his entire life to teach uninterested students affected by wretched poverty, His family has a younger sister whose marriage is his responsibility, has a devoted wife and a kid both of whom he adores.
Prince is another Engineering graduate who after his engineering received a call from various IIMs for GD/PI and finally achieved selection to IIM Calcutta. He joined the institute but left in a couple of months time because he received a call from the UPSC to appear in the mains exam. He is currently trying to get addmission into a top B-School again.
What is common to these three seemingly very different people - they all have burning desire to do something for the country and its people. All three dreamt of becoming an IAS officer. All three of them gave four of their best years to preparing and giving the exam. All three did not make it into the academy.
No, I am not saying that UPSC or the exam is corrupt or biased - in fact - I feel that generally they are not. But what the hell they deserve to be IAS just because they have raging fire to make a difference to their country and its people. No, they are not dumbos - they are sharp, one of them is currently doing his MBA at XLRI, another left IIM Calcutta for clearing UPSC and the third has calls from the best B-schools in India (XLRI, SP Jain, MDI, NITIE etc.). Why would government not want them in their teams ahead of a few who are possibly a notch better then them on subjects but may be no where near in their desire to make India a shining one. I believe that even if govt. does not have a post for them - they still need to be an IAS. They will make a difference because they want to do it from inside.
Something is fundamentally wrong with the concept of the IAS exam if we are unable to find out people with such desires and bring them in the main stream of our governance and administration.
Till then the Government's loss is private sector's gain. They are pursuing MBA so that they can still make a difference to a substantial part of the society by affecting those affected by their company or their profession. However, private sector wants profit and so they have twin objectives to meet at work. And I am not even talking about home. They are behind their cadres - they have lost four years to an excruciatingly slow process of evaluation where the decision on the first years process is taken after the person has already appeared in the next year's process and may have even cleared the first step to it.
While these three are still fighting - keeping the desire inside alive, not many has the same zeal. They capitulate to frustrations, some are confused beyond imagination, others live a meagre life and I know of some of them. Even these three need lot of counselling every now and then to refocus. They have a tendency to fall back into memories of those four years and in their weak moments they come out with lines like
"I know so many IAS officers - who know much less then I do"
"I still say that if I had become an IAS I could have helped so many people, my village, my area"
"Sometimes I feel that I have lost my life to the UPSC, today I do not offer even a decent life to my family when I compare them to families of my friends who graduated and joined jobs immediately"
"So many people join the IAS to earn money - so why won't they take me if I want to work for my country"
What can one suggest than a lame "you don't have to be an IAS to serve your country". But they deserve to be an IAS of my country - is somebody out there listening??
Monday, February 05, 2007
The mess behind CAT Analysis
Ever wondered about what owning responsibility should mean. This year's CAT and its aftermath is a burning example of how high pitch ad campaigns, promotional programmes and the likes are empty and worth nothing. Moreover they misguide and confuse students to no ends. Read on......
Sample this. About an hour after CAT 2006 ended - most major names in the business of MBA Entrance training started flashing answerkeys and results on their websites. By the evening all major players had uploaded the complete answerkeys and solutions to each and every question of CAT (which this year were too few - 75 only) properly arranged in various sets. All of them also provided their analysis of what the test was like and what a particular score could mean for a student.
Thousands, if not Lakhs, of students logged in to these sites and tried to calculate their scores. On the basis of these scores the students worked out what could be their possible ranks - on the suggestions of these sites and the so called CAT Experts. It is important to note that the students take decisions based on these scores and suggestions about institutes that they would apply to for admissions. And this practice is followed for years now.
So what was new this year??
Not much except that this year IIM-Ahmedabad decided to be more transparent than earlier. Along with the result the institute put on their site
1. the criteria for sending GD/PI calls based on CAT percentiles and
2. they also uploaded their version of answerkey on the site.
For many people like me it should be eyeopening. Following table list the number of errors (wrong answers) in the answer keys of major MBA Entrance players across India.
Ps. All Comparisons with the first answer key published by respective classes on their official sites, collected the day after CAT 2006 was conducted. The author has a copy of all of them. The classes have obviously either removed the answerkey from their sites or have changed it later. Also the comparison is with the answer key published by IIM Ahmedabad on their official site which can be visited here
The only thing that is funny is the perfect AP that the nubers create - otherwise this is a big question mark on the competency of some of the best names in the industry who claim to shape the careers of the youth in India.
Implications
Do some arithmetic to digest the implications of these errors. This year there were just 75 questions asked in CAT. Now a simple calculation will tell us that the most visited sites in India for analysing solutions had an error rate that ranges from 13.33% to 18.66%.
Thus on an average the students checking their results based on this answerkeys would be wrong on their analysis of results by about 10%.
This is a whooping error because a less than 1% difference in marks can make a difference of several hundred ranks if not thousands. This means that if somebody makes a decision of which institutes to apply for based on these errorenous calculations he/she might be wrong by miles on his approach to his/her career. CAT happens just once in a year so it is expected that a large number of students have lost their year or at least they will compromise on the levels of college that they will finally get admitted to.
I am personally in touch with students who calculated a negative score in the verbal section based on these sites and are now sitting with a CAT score card with 90+ percentile in the section.
Why Does this happen?
Because the aim of the coaching classes is different from that of the students. For coaching classes this is a time to grab eyeballs/attention of stundents to their brands. In management its called ensuring strong brand recall.
Its speed which will sell? The site which puts up solutions to most questions fastest will get maximum attention from students - never mind the quality of solutions or the accuracy of it.
What helps further is short public memory - even those students who might have taken their application decisions based on these solutions do not care once they are done with the application process. Later if they do not achieve the expected percentile scres they would attribute it to fate, some unexplained glitch in the system and/or simply their misfortune.
Where does one go?
Take this as one of the following
1. A reason for students to become more aware customers as education is no more a job of teachers - it is the business of education and they are the target customers.
2. A reason for watchdog bodies to come up - though personally I am against it.
3. As an opportunity for some or the other coaching classes to become a TATA of education - a name one can trust - by being ethical, slow but sure, and dependable
Any takers
Sample this. About an hour after CAT 2006 ended - most major names in the business of MBA Entrance training started flashing answerkeys and results on their websites. By the evening all major players had uploaded the complete answerkeys and solutions to each and every question of CAT (which this year were too few - 75 only) properly arranged in various sets. All of them also provided their analysis of what the test was like and what a particular score could mean for a student.
Thousands, if not Lakhs, of students logged in to these sites and tried to calculate their scores. On the basis of these scores the students worked out what could be their possible ranks - on the suggestions of these sites and the so called CAT Experts. It is important to note that the students take decisions based on these scores and suggestions about institutes that they would apply to for admissions. And this practice is followed for years now.
So what was new this year??
Not much except that this year IIM-Ahmedabad decided to be more transparent than earlier. Along with the result the institute put on their site
1. the criteria for sending GD/PI calls based on CAT percentiles and
2. they also uploaded their version of answerkey on the site.
For many people like me it should be eyeopening. Following table list the number of errors (wrong answers) in the answer keys of major MBA Entrance players across India.
Ps. All Comparisons with the first answer key published by respective classes on their official sites, collected the day after CAT 2006 was conducted. The author has a copy of all of them. The classes have obviously either removed the answerkey from their sites or have changed it later. Also the comparison is with the answer key published by IIM Ahmedabad on their official site which can be visited here The only thing that is funny is the perfect AP that the nubers create - otherwise this is a big question mark on the competency of some of the best names in the industry who claim to shape the careers of the youth in India.
Implications
Do some arithmetic to digest the implications of these errors. This year there were just 75 questions asked in CAT. Now a simple calculation will tell us that the most visited sites in India for analysing solutions had an error rate that ranges from 13.33% to 18.66%.
Thus on an average the students checking their results based on this answerkeys would be wrong on their analysis of results by about 10%.
This is a whooping error because a less than 1% difference in marks can make a difference of several hundred ranks if not thousands. This means that if somebody makes a decision of which institutes to apply for based on these errorenous calculations he/she might be wrong by miles on his approach to his/her career. CAT happens just once in a year so it is expected that a large number of students have lost their year or at least they will compromise on the levels of college that they will finally get admitted to.
I am personally in touch with students who calculated a negative score in the verbal section based on these sites and are now sitting with a CAT score card with 90+ percentile in the section.
Why Does this happen?
Because the aim of the coaching classes is different from that of the students. For coaching classes this is a time to grab eyeballs/attention of stundents to their brands. In management its called ensuring strong brand recall.
Its speed which will sell? The site which puts up solutions to most questions fastest will get maximum attention from students - never mind the quality of solutions or the accuracy of it.
What helps further is short public memory - even those students who might have taken their application decisions based on these solutions do not care once they are done with the application process. Later if they do not achieve the expected percentile scres they would attribute it to fate, some unexplained glitch in the system and/or simply their misfortune.
Where does one go?
Take this as one of the following
1. A reason for students to become more aware customers as education is no more a job of teachers - it is the business of education and they are the target customers.
2. A reason for watchdog bodies to come up - though personally I am against it.
3. As an opportunity for some or the other coaching classes to become a TATA of education - a name one can trust - by being ethical, slow but sure, and dependable
Any takers
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
God's very own
Good to be back at my blog.
Look at these pictures. What do you see? Happy children of school performing in a cultural show on stage. So, most probably this is an annual day function of a school. Do you notice any peculiarity. I was a part of this touching and emotionally moving experience.
The happy faces on stage are "God's own very special" children, as the anchor explained in her beautifully worded comments in the programme. These children are deaf and dumb. Mind you they are just children who cannot hear or speak literally. Otherwise, they communicate a lot and
sometimes more effectively then us, with supposedly with more developed faculties. The sparkle in their eyes, the team spirit, the enthusiasm, the elation of achievement, their determination is not just infectious but is touching and inspiring.
I had a brief encounter with them in a programme where they presented perfectly coordinated and soulful dances on music that they can't hear and songs that they can't sing. How? One wonders. The trick is their coach, mentor and teacher who stands in front of the stage and with minimal movement of her hands keeps telling them of what is expected of them. The amazing part is that
while their eyes are riveted to her hand movements, the expressions on their faces move in tune with the music and song. It was a cathartic experience.
One feels humbled when one meets such inspiring souls. Nothing seems to limit their spirits. They perform to prove that they are better than the normal beings. When I met them their eyes were speaking brightly. First I took help of their teacher to tell them how amazing they were - but soon I did not need him anymore. I could understand their eyes and a bird like chirping sound that they managed to generate. And they seem to understand what I wanted to tell them and was fumbling for words. I felt embarrassed and belittled talking to them.
It was a touching experience for the audience as well; everybody sat spellbound without disturbing the proceedings in any which way. In fact, once the sound system broke down and the sound first blurred and then stopped altogether - the children continued their dancing for a while till their teacher asked them to stop. Not a single soul in the hall moved, laughed or cursed. Everyone waited patiently for the ten minutes that it took to address the
problem. By the end of the programme most of them looked overwhelmed. Many came back and told me how touched they were. Look at this picture - what do you think are the audience doing? Well they are clapping (appreciating) - the teacher of these children made us aware that clapping did not mean much to them and so this gesture is what they have devised to let them know that they are amazing. A simple 40 minute show made us feel, get connected and be enlightened in a manner which did not happen ever in (my) life. I felt that I must take some time off from my cosy life and face such moments regularly. Probably that will help me keep my feet on firmly on the ground always.
This note will be incomplete if I do not mention the two teachers (bless them I did not even ask their names) without whom these children would be just any other set of physically challenged, underpriveledged ones. The passion with which they have taught this children and the energy that they put into their small performances, the happiness that they feel when they see these innocent, young, bright and happy faces is worth a standing ovation. Like any other such effort they face financial, logistical constraints - I came to know later that the sound problem happened because the group had brought audio tapes of the music they wanted to play. In these times of ACDs, VCDs and DVDs the arranger found it difficult to arrange for a decent enough audio tape player - but they go on. Many (including me) promised that they will visit the school but will we? I am not to sure. One week after the show and I still feel touched enough write all these words. But have I really tried to take the initiative to visit them? No.
Never mind. After watching this show, I am sure the good work should go on. May be I am too thick skinned. May many like me are - but I am sure there are better human beings in this world and if they are reached this children have someone somewhere to care for them too.
All Photographs by me.
Look at these pictures. What do you see? Happy children of school performing in a cultural show on stage. So, most probably this is an annual day function of a school. Do you notice any peculiarity. I was a part of this touching and emotionally moving experience.
The happy faces on stage are "God's own very special" children, as the anchor explained in her beautifully worded comments in the programme. These children are deaf and dumb. Mind you they are just children who cannot hear or speak literally. Otherwise, they communicate a lot and
sometimes more effectively then us, with supposedly with more developed faculties. The sparkle in their eyes, the team spirit, the enthusiasm, the elation of achievement, their determination is not just infectious but is touching and inspiring.I had a brief encounter with them in a programme where they presented perfectly coordinated and soulful dances on music that they can't hear and songs that they can't sing. How? One wonders. The trick is their coach, mentor and teacher who stands in front of the stage and with minimal movement of her hands keeps telling them of what is expected of them. The amazing part is that
while their eyes are riveted to her hand movements, the expressions on their faces move in tune with the music and song. It was a cathartic experience.One feels humbled when one meets such inspiring souls. Nothing seems to limit their spirits. They perform to prove that they are better than the normal beings. When I met them their eyes were speaking brightly. First I took help of their teacher to tell them how amazing they were - but soon I did not need him anymore. I could understand their eyes and a bird like chirping sound that they managed to generate. And they seem to understand what I wanted to tell them and was fumbling for words. I felt embarrassed and belittled talking to them.
It was a touching experience for the audience as well; everybody sat spellbound without disturbing the proceedings in any which way. In fact, once the sound system broke down and the sound first blurred and then stopped altogether - the children continued their dancing for a while till their teacher asked them to stop. Not a single soul in the hall moved, laughed or cursed. Everyone waited patiently for the ten minutes that it took to address the
problem. By the end of the programme most of them looked overwhelmed. Many came back and told me how touched they were. Look at this picture - what do you think are the audience doing? Well they are clapping (appreciating) - the teacher of these children made us aware that clapping did not mean much to them and so this gesture is what they have devised to let them know that they are amazing. A simple 40 minute show made us feel, get connected and be enlightened in a manner which did not happen ever in (my) life. I felt that I must take some time off from my cosy life and face such moments regularly. Probably that will help me keep my feet on firmly on the ground always.
This note will be incomplete if I do not mention the two teachers (bless them I did not even ask their names) without whom these children would be just any other set of physically challenged, underpriveledged ones. The passion with which they have taught this children and the energy that they put into their small performances, the happiness that they feel when they see these innocent, young, bright and happy faces is worth a standing ovation. Like any other such effort they face financial, logistical constraints - I came to know later that the sound problem happened because the group had brought audio tapes of the music they wanted to play. In these times of ACDs, VCDs and DVDs the arranger found it difficult to arrange for a decent enough audio tape player - but they go on. Many (including me) promised that they will visit the school but will we? I am not to sure. One week after the show and I still feel touched enough write all these words. But have I really tried to take the initiative to visit them? No.
Never mind. After watching this show, I am sure the good work should go on. May be I am too thick skinned. May many like me are - but I am sure there are better human beings in this world and if they are reached this children have someone somewhere to care for them too.
All Photographs by me.
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