Movie called Life..

90+ for 10th Boards, 80+ for 12th and then the mad race to crack all the entrance exams in the world starting from JEE , AIEEE down to state level CET. Those lucky ones who make to the IIT/NIT and so on are assumed to have conquered everything and a straight visa to the US or a 5 digit pay in India. Supposedly less fortunate ones studying in those XYZ Institutes of Technology are destined to be underdogs forever just because they couldn't answer those 10 extra questions( or rather less unlucky to have got the wild guesses wrong).The even less fortunate ones who have taken up BA,BSc courses are supposed to have doomed their lives forever.So that virtually creates 3 strata of educated youth. Nothing to be surprised in a country like India where there are most castes than anything else. Yet another creation of education castes. The top ones look down upon the lower ones. The tag of their education is carried on for a long time to come.

Lets have an analysis of the 3 castes for the next 10 years to come.

The Upper Castes: 
IIT/NIT seat is a direct entry to the Road to the Great American Dream for many. MS/MBA is a default option.Job is a guarantee regardless of the number of arrears/grades.So like a swarm of bees, this caste enters into the portals of top Business and technical schools in the world. Perfect script , well executed with no glitches. No more in depth analysis required for this elite class. Their career graph was scripted the moment the entrance results were out.The only thing this sect needs to do is follow the herd. Any deviation from the norm is frowned upon and he or she is an outcast. Success measured in terms of lpa's and foreign trips.

The OBCs :
XYZ Institute of Technology. Uniform clad engineers taught by their own seniors who have barely passed out. Aim is to get into an Infy/TCS/CTS. Script successful if that is achieved and a block buster if they make it into a top B-school for higher studies. Most satisfied with entry level IT/ Outsourcing jobs. Obama should thank this sect for their invaluable contribution for being the backbone of American corporates.

The Untouchables:
I always wished to take up a BSc in physics , but definitely no regrets that I became an engineer. Me too fell  a victim to the Indian education caste. Forced to be an upper caste by family and society. It was too much at stake to get degraded as untouchable. First question asked to this sect invariably." Din't you get an admission for engineering/medical course". Destined to be an underdog forever this sect gets into the vicious circle of applying for all government and bank jobs.

What a pathetic system we have created for ourselves.The first class is deprived to think on their own to follow the herd.The script should be water tight. Second sect shouldn't dare to dream more than what is written in their script. The last ones aren't expected to produce any miracles.

Now I'am in a very fluid stage. I do not fall in any of the three sects. I graduated from an elite college and as per the script joined a top corporate, went to US and when everything was looking perfect, I tampered with the script. I would be perhaps earning the least now among all my college mates. Some appreciate my boldness, some call me stupid but to be frank I'am confused.

Education should give us the wisdom and foresight to choose our career. Does the grand old Indian educational system equip us with that? I very much doubt it. Am I to be blamed or is it the whole system comprising of my parents, friends and the society as a whole.Now I'am not worried about anything. Live everyday happily to the maximum extent possible. My search for what I need and what gives me happiness continues. Degrees and papers provide nothing more than social acceptance. I need to evolve as a person capable of facing the world at all times.

Suicide of my friend Mahesh Mahadevan( IIT-Madras alumnus who was pursuing MS at University of California,Irvine) has shocked me.He was a true intellect, a confident young man who followed the perfect script. Flawless with impeccable records. State Rank 1, 3 digit IIT rank, high CGPA from IIT-M, admit into a top US university. But half way, the script took a U turn.No one will ever know what went wrong. Did our system make him too fragile ? I wish I knew the answer.

Past is gone and there is always a bright future ahead. Dare to rewrite the script the way you want. You write your script and not act to someone else's. You be the actor, hero,director,producer and camera man for the lovely film you make for yourself. This film has a difference, it is a selfish film not to please or impress others but each time you rewind and watch the film it should make you feel good.Entertain yourself..!!!!!