True Identities....

Euthanasia..A.Gimmer of Hope or Despair?

2011-03-13T08:10:00.000-07:00

Once again the debate of Euthanasia is alive in the media.Six years before while I was in my first year of engineering at NIT Trichy, the first debate I participated in college was on Mercy Killing. I remember how I vociferously supported for Euthanasia. Today I am enlightened to speak on the topic with little more authority.The very enlightenment has put me in a dilemma.To be frank I am not able to take a firm stand for or against Euthanasia. Any amount of analytical or scientific reasoning fails when questions on life and death are taken, simply because that domain transcends human knowledge. Intricacies of life and death be it on moral, scientific or human rights basis cannot be comprehended or quantified on a tangible basis.

So where does that leave us. Let me try putting in an argument along some sound philosophical arguments. The first approach is that of human rights ie. the right to live or put in more realistic way, right to live with dignity. Right to live does not mean living under inhuman conditions always under the authority and dependence of others. It means ability to live in a dignified manner.This argument puts forward a very significant question.Quarter of Indian population is under abject poverty and lives under totally deplorable and inhuman conditions. When it comes to the question of euthanasia we sharpen our moral swords and fight for human rights while at the same time shun the millions who starve for want of basic livelihood means.

I keep wondering how wonderfully we Indians argue, no wonder Prof.Amartya Sen chose the title of his book- The Argumentative Indian. We have the knack of shifting sides and changing colors faster than a chameleon.Media is going berserk with every possible arguments about Euthanasia. The fate of Aruna Shaunbaug , the hapless nurse who was sodomized and physically assaulted by a pervert attender in the hospital where she had worked has triggered the latest debate.

The second argument is that of Utilitarianism. Yes the very same utilitirianism of Jeremy Bentham and JS Mill that advoates anything good for the majority of population.Now that works for a public policy or something on a mass basis,not for something so personal as choice of life and death. What has the majority public got to do with an individual's choice. A doctor so long as he is paid will treat the patient. The greater good matters only for the close one's of the patient. But which parent would want to give a consent for Euthanasia of their child?

Every stage of human has some kind of consciousness attached with it. An external person can in no way comprehend the level of consciousness.Just because we feel another person undergoes strenuous pain doesn't mean we can truly comprehend his level of pain or cognition. More importantly it is not tangible. Orgasm during sex is a transcedental stage which is at times associated with pain, but that it is something an individual experiences totally irrelevant to a third person.

Well amidst arguments galore what is the road ahead? Should law of the land interfere with something that is totally irrelevant to the greater common good? I feel the court should keep off this sensitive issue simply because it is a matter concerning an individual and his close ones. Legalising Euthanasia in a country like India would lead to a spurt of nefarious activities especially for hereditary property inheritance, remarriage etc.As for Aruna Shanbaug, hats off to the wonderful and dedicated staff of KEM hospital. Instances like these are to be celebrated for social cohesiveness and human bonding. For a moment it reveals the humanistic aspects devoid of any instincts of self maximizing individuals.Let this be an eye opener for mankind to dwell deeper into the existence of ourselves rather than nuance with ideas of law making and wearing the moral cloak.

Religion and Mass Fanaticism...

2011-01-27T04:44:00.000-08:00

Today's newspaper came out with a shocking news of over 100 deaths in a stampede near Sabarimala temple, Kerala.30 deaths in Queensland, Australia due to floods and its already termed a catastrophe with all kinds of disaster mitigation apparatus swiftly into action.A stumbling question comes to my mind, when will we Indians start giving human value its true worth ? Do we even have a true statistical record of the number of deaths? At a time when people and media are crying for a new reliable index for industrial production, why is there no public demand for a true death statistic. The answer is staring at us, we simple don't want it!! But why? Is this part of our "pompous" culture and religious history?

Hinduism talks about "moksha" or salvation from the vicious cycle of birth and death. But for god' sake noone wants to attain moksha by way of a death by stampede. In spite of this tragedy, rest assured there will be a bigger crowd next year and even poorer disaster management force in place. A news article pointed out the presence of National Disaster Response Force(NDRF) at Sabarimala supposedly experienced at crowd control and management. A lakh of hooligan swami's to be managed by a handful of "experts"? ...Guess the district administration is still in a utopian world but totally unfair to blam them either.

Why was there such a big crowd assembled ? To see the biggest farcical side of our religious devotion. Makarajyothi (picture above)- A divine glow emanating from the eastern hills, supposed to be the assertion of Lord Ayyappa himself.Now if God himself comes every 14th of January without fail just to assert himself as a divine glow, why is that divine spot not a temple? In a country where rumours of Divine touch or birth can trigger a series of religious spots(Read Ram Janmabhumi) why aren't the very same religious fanatics crying for a temple here at the spot of Makarajyothi where God visits every year.

Time will heal the wounds of the affected families in the Sabarimala tragedy. But as a society we need to introspect and come out with clear answers to delineate faith and truth. Vested interests should not be allowed to gain mileage by fooling millions of devotees in the name of tradition.

The Way out....

2010-12-16T07:22:00.000-08:00

CWG may have displayed the shoddy side of Indian bureaucracy, but let’s not forget we have the other side of it too. The shining side of Indian public management have outplayed their western counterparts by leaps and bounds in many areas. When the so called liberal far right propagators of US and Europe are shrinking into the once laughed at protectionist laws, here in India we are slowly and steadily opening up the markets.The Ohio ban and the recent hike in visa fees reveal the heat and insecurity the US is feeling from the

Indian markets.

Had our forever despised bureaucrats and policy makers listened to the modern management “gurus”of the west during the formulation of Industrial Policy-1991, forget US even God could not have saved us now. The famed economists of LSE and HBS failed to grasp what our good old IAS officers could sitting in the North Block, New Delhi and the RBI Headquarters in Mumbai.

The Reserve Bank of India was acknowledged worldwide for its mature and austere handling of the economic crises with the right mix of caution and risk. From once being the largest borrower of IMF loans, today India is being looked up at as a savior of the very same IMF. Under the Note Purchasing Agreement and Gold scheme India’s contribution to the world economic institutions deserve accolades.

Indian bid for a permanent UN Security council seat is being backed by majority of the countries and this is evident from the fact that 187 out of 192 countries including Pakistan voted for the non-permanent seat for India. So as always India is turning out to be a country of Contradictions. Seen as a rising Tiger from outside, India is still groping in dark to set its domestic issues straight.

So what is the solution for the lopsided growth pattern that the world’s largest democracy is experiencing? What exactly is the role of state today? A “minimalist “approach advocated by Neo-liberalists or a more proactive socialistic welfare approach? No one size fits all type of solution to India’s problems. Rather than being a provider, the Government needs to don the role of an enabler. Enable the citizen’s to participate in the democratic and administrative setup. The current dichotomy is exactly what India faced at the time of framing the constitution when the legacies of Nehru and Gandhi were at loggerheads. Finally Gandhian principles of “Swaraj” or Local self rule was overshadowed by the socialist aspirations of Nehru and thus started decades of experimentation with centralized welfare planning.

Today world order has changed and is no longer bipolar. The question of Capitalism vs. Communism is irrelevant. Communism has failed and with that dies the welfare state aspirations of Nehru. Indian policy makers have done a credible job by adapting to the changing world dynamics. It’s time we completely revamp the administrative set up to meet the challenges of globalization as well as local needs. Devolution of power to the people and forming a citizen centric administration is on its way if the 2nd Administrative Reforms Commission recommendations are to be implemented.

It’s not the state alone that requires re-orientation. Citizens need to move away from the notion that it is the sole duty of state to ensure welfare of people without any obligations back. How many of us have taken part in the largest democratic exercise on earth, elections to the parliament? How many of us realize the importance of local body elections to the municipalities and Panchayats?

We crib at the system for all its failures and inadequacies, but fail to do any corrective measures. No amount of finger pointing at the state or vociferous accusations at bureaucracy will change the ground reality.What is required is a paradigm change in the attitude and active participation of common citizens inthe governance. All that the state can do is act as a catalyst with administrative, legislative and judicialsupport.

Finally farewell to Chennai...

2010-06-07T01:02:00.000-07:00

You never know what life has in store for you.Past one year has taken me to different places including the US,met a lot of people, some of them very interesting characters.But don't know what's wrong with me,find it very difficult to stick to a single place for long.A few months in the corporate aroused the communist in me maybe :) and I landed up in IIT-Madras. Had the opportunity to work with arguably one of the best professors in IIT. But then research din't really pump my adrenaline. I started to get bored again after the initial enthusiasm. What next? ...A Bureaucrat if god willing in a couple of years from now..:)...So its finally good-bye to Chennai....Great city with a real soul and culture unlike Bangalore which is a hazy heaven.
But I'am happy to get back to where I belong.Lush greenery, romantic monsoons and scintillating rivers.Kerala is one of its kind in this world.So for next one year in God's own country.:)

Movie called Life..

2010-04-27T04:37:00.000-07:00

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..!!!!!

Battle called Life...!!!

2010-04-06T04:20:00.000-07:00

My humble attempt at poetry. Used to be a fan of Tennyson and Wordsworth in my high school days. Ages since I have read a poem , so decided to write one.:)

Every day is a battlefield where I am the king
my dreams, my hopes and my aspirations
form my soldiers, knights and armoury.
When did it begin,Where did it start?
these answers evade me yet one thing is certain
the war goes on and on and on.
Who are my opponents and what do I conquer?
all i know is I need to sharpen my armoury
If I fall or stumble which I often do
I'am left all alone to grapple in the dark
Who are my friends and who are my foes?
Curiously I keep staring at the faces that cross my path.
With a heavy heart I march on hoping someday this war ends.

In Search of God- Part I

2010-03-31T01:03:00.000-07:00

Where did the universe come from? Where is it heading to? Did the universe have a beginning? Is there really a God that created universe? What does the universe comprise of? Was Mankind a creation by chance ? When did Time begin?

The answer to all these are not within the reach of Physics,Mathematics or any of the natural sciences, but transcends the boundaries of Science,Engineering, Mathematics,Arts,Theology,Philosophy and every possible knowledge assimilated by mankind so far.A significant step towards answering these queries have been made in the form of highly publicized Large Hadron Collider(LHC) experiment conducted by the European Organization for Nuclear Research(CERN).

In my high school days I was deeply fascinated by astronomy and astrophysics.I still remember when I read for the first time "Brief History of Time" by Stephen Hawkins. Though I dint have the necessary mathematical background to fully comprehend the subject,it left in my mind an indelible impression and curiosity about the origin of universe and its future.

Today when the whole world is talking about LHC it has kindled my interest in fundamental questions about the universe.With my limited knowledge and whatever information I have collected I will try to make a lucid explanation of why a mammoth engineering project like LHC was necessary,its implications and what holds for the future.

Standard Model
Everything in the Universe is found to be made from twelve basic building blocks called fundamental particles, governed by four fundamental forces.

Twelve Basic Particles

Four Fundamental Forces

Developed in the early 1970s, it tries to explain the interaction between these 12 basic units in the presence of 3 fundamental forces(Gravity Excluded).In fact, fitting gravity comfortably into the framework has proved to be a difficult challenge. The quantum theory used to describe the micro world, and the general theory of relativity used to describe the macro world, are like two children who refuse to play nicely together.But luckily for particle physics, when it comes to the minuscule scale of particles, the effect of gravity is so weak as to be negligible.All experimental results satisfactorily comply with the Standard Model to a great extent.

Why the LHC?
There are a lot of unanswered questions with the Standard Model and that is exactly what LHC experiment aims to unravel.These include.

The Standard Model does not explain the origin of mass, nor why some particles are very heavy while others have no mass at all. The answer may be the so-called Higgs mechanism. According to the theory of the Higgs mechanism, the whole of space is filled with a ‘Higgs field’, and by interacting with this field, particles acquire their masses. Particles that interact intensely with the Higgs field are heavy, while those that have feeble interactions are light. The Higgs field has at least one new particle associated with it, the Higgs boson. If such a particle exists, experiments at the LHC will be able to detect it.
The Standard Model does not offer a unified description of all the fundamental forces, as it remains difficult to construct a theory of gravity similar to those for the other forces. Supersymmetry — a theory that hypothesises the existence of more massive partners of the standard particles we know — could facilitate the unification of fundamental forces. If supersymmetry is right, then the lightest supersymmetric particles should be found at the LHC.
Cosmological and astrophysical observations have shown that all of the visible matter accounts for only 4% of the Universe. The search is open for particles or phenomena responsible for dark matter (23%) and dark energy (73%). A very popular idea is that dark matter is made of neutral — but still undiscovered — supersymmetric particles.
The LHC will also help us to investigate the mystery of antimatter.Matter and antimatter must have been produced in the same amounts at the time of the Big Bang, but from what we have observed so far, our Universe is made only of matter. Why? The LHC could help to provide an answer.
In addition to the studies of proton–proton collisions, heavy-ion collisions at the LHC will provide a window onto the state of matter that would have existed in the early Universe, called ‘quark-gluon plasma’. When heavy ions collide at high energies they form for an instant a ‘fireball’ of hot, dense matter that can be studied by the experiments

More about the LHC, its components and why it is an engineering marvel in Part-II..:)

David Headley's Plea Bargain...

2010-03-30T22:09:00.000-07:00

Some of the important confessions of David Coleman Headley in the Plea Bargain submitted to the US court are given below.

Beginning no later than in or about late 2005, and continuing through on or about October 3, 2009, at Chicago, in the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, and elsewhere within and without the jurisdiction of the United States, defendant conspired with members of Lashkar e Tayyiba, including but not limited to individuals identified herein as Lashkar Members A, B, C and D, and others, to deliver, place, discharge and detonate explosives and other lethal devices in, into and against places of public use, state and government facilities, public transportation systems, and infrastructure facilities in India,with the intent to cause death and serious bodily injury, and with the intent to cause extensive destruction of such places and facilities which such destruction would likely result in major economic loss, and defendant was a national of the United States and was found in the United States.

More specifically, in or around late 2005, defendant met with three individuals herein identified as Lashkar Members A, B and D, and received instructions to travel to India to conduct surveillance of various locations in India, including places of public use, and state and government facilities. Prior to receiving these orders, defendant had attended training camps organized and operated by Lashkar e Tayyiba on five separate occasions in or around 2002 through 2005. Starting in or around February 2002, defendant attended a three-week course and received indoctrination on the merits of waging jihad. Starting in or about August
2002, defendant attended a three-week course and received training in, among other skills,the use of weapons and grenades. Starting in or about April 2003, defendant attended a three-month course and received training in various skills, including, but not limited to, close combat tactics, the use weapons and grenades, and survival skills. Starting in or around August 2003, defendant attended a three-week course and received training in, among other skills, counter-surveillance. Starting in or around December 2003, defendant attended an approximately three month course and received combat and tactical training. On multiple
occasions, following his completion of the above-described training courses, defendant advised co-defendant TAHAWWUR HUSSAIN RANA (“RANA”) of his membership in Lashkar e Tayyiba and the training that he had received.

After receiving RANA’s approval, defendant traveled back to Pakistan and met with Lashkar Members A and D, among others, on several occasions. Defendant advised them that RANA had agreed to the use of First World Immigration as cover for his activities.Defendant also showed them the visa that he had obtained with RANA’s assistance. During these meetings, defendant received additional instructions regarding his intended travel to India.Defendant thereafter traveled to India in or around September 2006, using the opening and operation of RANA’s immigration business as cover for defendant’s travel to and extended stay in Mumbai, India. During this trip, defendant conducted extensive video surveillance of various locations in India, including, but not limited to, the Taj Mahal Hotel. After this trip, defendant met in Pakistan with various co-conspirators, including but not limited to members of Lashkar e Tayyiba, provided them with the video recordings he had made and discussed with the co-conspirators the video and the surveillance he had
conducted. Further, defendant received instructions to return to Mumbai and perform additional surveillance.

In or about March 2008, defendant met with co-conspirators in Pakistan and discussed potential landing sites in Mumbai for a team of attackers that would arrive by sea. Following this discussion, defendant was ordered to return to Mumbai to perform additional surveillance and locate possible landing sites. In or around April 2008, defendant returned to Mumbai with a global positioning system (“GPS”) device and performed the surveillance,including taking boat trips in and around the Mumbai harbor and entering locations in the GPS device. After returning to Pakistan, defendant again met with various co-conspirators,and, among other things, advised them of his recommendations as to potential landing sites.During these meetings, defendant learned that attack plans were being delayed, in part, to wait for when the sea was calmer.

The Mumbai Attacks
In late November 2008, ten co-conspirators trained by Lashkar e Tayyiba carried out assaults with firearms, grenades and improvised explosive devices against multiple targets in Mumbai, India, including attacks on the Taj Mahal hotel; the Oberoi hotel; the LeopoldCafe; the Nariman House and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus train station, killing approximately 164 people and wounding hundreds more.

Download the complete document from the following link:
http://www.hindu.com/nic/headleyplea.pdf

A Dog's tail can never be straightened whatever happens!!!

2010-03-29T02:29:00.000-07:00

Exactly applicable in all its form to the dumbest nation on earth, United States of America.David Coleman Headley, the mastermind behind 26/11 attacks in Mumbai let free without even having an inch of consideration towards India.Arrogance and Hegemony at its heights!!! A 9/11 and Americans went on a rampage waging war on every suspect nation in the pretext of wiping out terror forever. End result, 2 nations ,Afghanistan and Iraq destroyed forever beyond repair. A whole new generation of children who's lives American F-16s and drones take away every day in the name of hunting down a one man army. A shame on entire humanity for having supported such a nation and more shameful trying to ape it in every aspect.

Indian official's lukewarm response, restricted to couple of statements by the Home Minister is gross injustice to all the heroes who laid down their lives on 26/11.Imagine if India had captured the mastermind of 9/11, would US have waited for India's long and never ending judicial processes to get over.Definitely not, FBI and CIA sleuths would have landed in Delhi in no time and taken the culprit on the next flight back to US. Its time we Indians have the grit and guts to stand up and speak for ourselves rather than wait for Uncle Sam to hand over our endless list of enemies.

If Dawood Ibrahim is in Karachi, what is the point waiting for Pakistan to accept that he is there or wait till US pressurizes Pak to hand him over to us.That is never going to happen.At the end of the day we are alone to fight out our adversities.Its time we take cue from Israel's Mossad and eliminate our enemies one by one.A conventional kind of war is out of question.

Coming back to US, the kind of shabby and insensitive treatment meted on to us by them on the Headley issue,India needs to get its act together and go for a strong protest at the highest level.America today thrives on its most impressive import from India, Indian brains at the cheapest price.We need to capitalize and bargain on that.India may not be a strong military power today, but its invaluable human capital is powerhouse of knowledge that drives western capital world. We need not be sensitive to American feelings and keep licking their ass in return expecting the US to handhold us in every issue.

Its time our Home Minister send out strong signals asserting India's dissatisfaction.David Coleman Headley holds the key to bring the perpetrators of 26/11 to justice.Thats the least we can do for all those who lost their lives in Mumbai.Headley needs to be prosecuted in India and cannot be free just because he happens to hold an American passport.The hurry and enthusiasm US showed in mercilessly killing Saddam Hussein needs to be shown here too.Its unfair and unjust in using double yardsticks just because a ruthless soul like Headley happens to be yet another "dumb", stupid american.

Fractals,Risk Management and Stocks..!!!!

2010-03-27T04:58:00.000-07:00

Check out my earlier post on Fractals as a primer: http://myselfmeandyou.blogspot.com/2010/03/mathematics-rightly-viewed-possesses.html

My sudden interest in Fractals led me to read about different applications of it. Atmospheric sciences,forestry,astronomy,quantum physics and to my biggest surprise risk management and Finance.Having been a Risk Management Analyst at AON Corporation I had a fair understanding of portfolio management theory.I was surprised to find application of fractal theory in portfolio risk management.

Anyone familiar with portfolio risk assessment knows that for a given set of quantifiable risk in a portfolio, the aim is to maximize the profits.The risk reducing formulas behind portfolio theory has highly demanding assumptions.Firstly they suggest that price changes are statistically independent,ie.today's price change has no influence on tomorrows'. As a result predictions of future market scenarios become complex.Secondly all price changes conform to the standard bell curve(as measured by its sigma,or standard deviation).The width of the bell shape depicts the deviation from mean.

Do real time price changes conform to these? Definitely not ! If they would have then Investment Banks and risk consultancy firms wouldn't be hunting for the brightest minds on earth.
So where does Fractal theory come into picture.Have a look at the figure below.Does it strike any chords?

On a practical level, a fractal generator can be developed based on historical market data. The actual model used does not simply inspect what the market did yesterday or last week. It is in fact a more realistic depiction of market fluctuations, called fractional Brownian motion in multifractal trading time. The charts created from the generators produced by this model can simulate alternative scenarios based on previous market activity.
Further mathematical explanation on how the fractals are generated and how it can be interpolated and so on are right now beyond my grasp.Will update it as soon as I get a firm gripping about Fractal Theory:)

Heading East...

2010-03-27T02:39:00.000-07:00

MIT students' new internship destination: Indian Startups

Can you believe that headline? MIT-Sloan School grads heading straight for India for a complete "immersion" experience in Indian startup firms.A decade ago, forget US B-school grads not even Indian B-school grads would have wanted to stay back in the country.Road to the Great American Dream was the norm then.World has flattened(in Thomas Friedman's words) and there is a whole new scenario prevalent here today.IIM grads turning down lucrative jobs abroad to work for Indian firms or start their own venture and to add to that MIT guys heading straight to India.

So what has brought about this sudden change of fortunes for Indian Economy? Is it simply the post 1991 economic reforms impact or has it got more to do with changing mindset and rationale in today's Indian.

1991 was when India achieved its second independence that of economic liberalization.But in retrospect, I would say it has been far more than just economic liberalization.Its also been liberalization from self-doubt,low confidence and ignorance.Entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial thinking set in which became the vehicles of change. The world is heading east to India and China and where are we heading to? Inclusive growth,poverty alleviation, human rights and education are the four pillars which can catapult us into a real world power.

So long as we have three fourth of the nation living in abject poverty and the next one-fourth going leaps and bounds there is no way we will achieve true development.Hope these whiz kids coming from MIT gets the real pulse of India and do their bit for constructive and positive change:)

"Mathematics, rightly viewed, possesses not only truth, but supreme beauty" -- Bertrand Russell

2010-03-27T01:53:00.000-07:00

Today I had an opportunity to attend a lecture on Fractals and Chaos theory. Mathematics unraveled with all its stunning beauty. I have always felt that if I had more understanding of complex mathematics that describes the various natural phenomena I could see through the natural beauty which otherwise remains hidden.One such concept is Fractals. Here I'am trying to make a humble effort with whatever limited knowledge I have about Fractals.

In very simple terms, fractals are geometrical figures that are generated by starting with a very simple pattern that grows through the application of rules.
Here is a simple illustration starting off with a plus sign and applying it recursively.

A fractal is "a rough or fragmented geometric shape that can be split into parts, each of which is (at least approximately) a reduced-size copy of the whole"- concept of self similarity. Take for example the case of seashore image taken from a satellite. The seashore is a highly irregular pattern but if we try to zoom into a particular portion, there is a similarity in that zoomed portion corresponding with the complete seashore.Another important example is the case of clouds which are highly irregular in geometry.
Many more mind boggling structures are found in nature.
Definitely this is mathematics at its best :)

Lead India....

2010-02-23T02:52:00.000-08:00

Indian behind world's fastest microprocessor,Nobel prize for Indian origin scientist,India all set to take over the technology lead....India,India,India!!!!! Every time I see these headlines in the newspapers it gives me a false sense of pride that Indians are all set to take over the whole world.Well lets take a look at the ground reality.All said and done there's no denying that Indians are one the most intelligent people on earth,but where does this intelligence,creativity and zeal gets channelized to? No second thoughts, it gets transformed and merged with the "Great American Dream" of ruling the world all alone.

Dr.K R Sridhar, an alumnus of NIT Trichy and today making waves with his "Bloom Energy" is revolutionizing the energy sector in the US.Well there is always a counter argument that these Indians are doing our country by polishing "Brand India".

But then the technological,social and economic revolutions going on should translate into reality for the common man in India. Sridhar's Bloom energy should be able to light up houses as far as Dharbangha in Bihar or kutch in Gujarat. That light should get transformed into millions of slum dwellers in Bombay and Calcutta going to schools and make a career with the power of education.

Things are changing and I am an optimist.Everything happens for the good. Maybe days are not far away when the dream of every child getting his due education become a reality, every home in India gets power supply and every citizen gets a decent standard of living!!!

Eastern Philosophy and Western Science-An introspection

2010-01-28T00:03:00.000-08:00

There are times when all of us cross the realms of science and question our own existence. Queries like Who am I? Where have I come from?Why am I here and Where will I go? Conundrums of life and death are beyond grasp of modern day science and technology. At cross roads like this where western science fails to provide convincing answers,Eastern philosophical thoughts are of great relevance. Western science and philosophy is more of an intellectual exercise dealing with man's relationship with the universe and understand underlying processes.The word philosophy-"philo" and "sophia" means love for knowledge. This term does not apply to Indian context at all.

Indian philosophy leads one through a systematic way of directly experiencing the truths of existence and height of self-realization.After realizing one's self, the eternal truth that this self is the self of all becomes quite evident.

A human being is part of a whole, called by us the universe, a part limited in time and space.He experiences himself,his thoughts and feelings,as something seperated from the rest- a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us.Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.

India Post...Still Relevant?

2010-01-25T02:46:00.000-08:00

After a really long time I visited a Post office. This one was in T Nagar,Chennai. Situated right next to the busy Pondy Bazar, T Nagar post office was bustling with activity.The very familiar faces of an old postmaster flicking through the dusty files, a widowed office assistant who dispenses stamps(would have most likely got the job through compassionate grounds) and couple of peons walking here and there doing the odd jobs. In this age of Web 2.0 I was wondering how relevant the grand old postal system of India was. The answer is without any doubt a big resounding YES!!!!

There was a time when post man was an integral part of everyone's family. Right from the youngest son who would announce the postman's arrival loud to the grand dad eagerly waiting for his son's mail.Writing mails always evoked the inner self within us. No facebook,gmail,twitter or orkut can ever emulate the stimulus of reading a handwritten mail.Be it from your lover,siblings or parents it gives a personal touch. I still remember my childhood when I was so excited to write a mail or sent a christmas card to my relatives.I don't even know where half of my relatives are right now sans their email ids.

Web 2.o tools are supposed to bring mankind and relations closer, but in reality are we getting closer? Nothing against electronic forms, but haven't we lost the innate and human side of ourselves? I don't even know who is the post man in my area if it all there is one. Somewhere deep within my thoughts is etched the face of Kamath, the typical grand old postman who was a great friend of my dad. I keep looking for those familiar faces on the street. Time changes and so do us. Today was a happy day, I posted something after a long time and along with those memories of my childhood.

But here I am back in front of the laptop gazing at my gmail account, something that's probably going to wipe out the postal system and change the way we communicate forever!!!!!

The Fourth Idiot!!!

2010-01-13T13:12:00.000-08:00

"Managing Director : Tell me how much more package you want? Call is yours.

Me : I don't want salary. Salary is not the reason why I am quitting.

MD : We could give you a permanent position in US

Me : No, I have had enough of US. I do not want to go to US again."

What better name to call me than the fourth idiot.I dint want to be the hero who threw away the golden goose nor did I want to show off in front of anyone. Yet something made me reject both the offers put forward to me by the MD. Tonight could be a disaster in my life or could bring about a paradigm change. I sincerely hope it turns out to be the latter.

I don't mind being one among the millions of Indians who dint make it big in the corporate, who quit the mad race even before it started, who never dreamt of carving a career in the US. For many I am the wannabe hero who threw away golden offers which people just dream of in the beginning of their career. But hero in front of whom? Does anyone really bother what happens in my life? Does it matter to anyone whether I go to US or I earn a 6 digit salary?

An emphatic "No" is what prompts me to make me realize with a sinking heart that its a lonely world. Its said that emotions and relations are what sets apart humans from other forms of life. Feel like seeking a helping hand but maybe the ego deep within me forces a smile on my face. Its that farce smile that looks like boldness and smartness to others.

Its always a constant clash between what you want, what is expected from you and what you really can do!! These 3 factors are in a constant battle with each other and many a times the result is all 3 fail. I wanted to be something, circumstances forced me to take up something else and in the end I failed to do that something else.

The end result of all......The Fourth Idiot!!!!!

A Wednesday !

2008-10-02T04:30:00.000-07:00

Rarely does the Indian cinema audience gets to see an out of box the treatment of contemperory issues."Terrorism" is not a new topic for Bollywood.Starting off from Mani Ratnam's classic Roja, we have seen umpteen number of these movies.Often the scripts are so cliched that half way through the film we get the feel of a Babri Masjid or Kandahar

Contrary to this "A Wednesday" is an original piece of drama. Starring Naseeruddin Shah and
Anupam Kher,two of the finest actors of our times this one is an absolute thriller.A high suspense high adrenaline fresh treatment of modern day terrorism.R K Lakshman's common man(or Sonia Gandhi's Aam aadmi) never dies.He keeps resurfacing in some form or the other.This time Naseer donning the role of common man frustrated by the menace of terrorism decides to give the authorities a shot in the arm.

So guys don miss out on this class movie.Hats off to naseer,Anupam and director Neeraj Pandey

Imagination at Work……

2008-06-25T08:07:00.000-07:00

How big can you dream? An overall market capitalization of around $380 billion, ranked No: 1 consistently among the Fortune 500 companies, one of the world’s most admired and respected corporate with a tradition of more than 125 years of extraordinary leadership having an employee base of over 300,000 spanning 100 countries. What started off as a humble beginning in the year 1876 with the invention of incandescent bulb by Thomas Alva Edison is today a huge conglomerate having interests in virtually every business in the world. No credits for guessing this mammoth organization, yes its none other than General Electric (GE).

Oil and gas, Wind turbines, Consumer and Industrial goods, Rail, Aviation, Water, Finance you name it, GE is sure to have a strong foot hold in each of these sectors. I am sure most of you would have heard of NBC Universal (Production house of Bourne Ultimatum), but many wouldn’t know that it’s an arm of GE. One of the world’s most powerful jet engines GenX is from GE. It’s a place where sharpest minds across the globe work in tandem to produce some of the best technical innovations that mankind has ever seen.

” Imagination at Work”, what a perfect tagline for this great corporate.

GE has 4 research hubs in the world viz. Niskayuna in New York, Munich, Bangalore and Shanghai. The Bangalore centre known as John F Welch Technology Centre (JFWTC) is the largest research centre outside US.I was fortunate enough to get a summer internship at Global Research Cente, JFWTC. Global Research Centre (GRC) is a pure R&D wing that gives research backup for all GE businesses. Spread out in an area of more than 50 acres with lush green lawns and Japanese garden JFWTC is truly world class.

For all of you who would like to pursue a career in research, my sincere advice, do your masters and PhD, pack your bags and get ready to be a part of GE family. All said and done I realized one thing after successfully completing my internship, core research is not my cup of teaJ

PS: Absolutely no point joining GE after B.TechL

Primary Education in India….

2008-06-25T08:05:00.000-07:00

Indian education system is a huge tower with a very poor foundation. The government is making a mockery of themselves by broadening the top of the tower without even trying to lay the foundation straight. Six new IIT’s all supposedly to bring prosperity to the underdeveloped states. Prosperity to whom? To the millions of children deprived of even primary education or to those starving young minds that come to school just to have the “sumptuous” mid day meal. When the primary educational system in India is in a grave situation due to lack of funds and infrastructure government is pumping crores for the creation of IIT’s.

I happened to read a very interesting article in the Harvard Business Review. It was about a startup company called Gyan founded by 3 Indian students after passing out from Harvard Business School. The study they conducted in India revealed the fact that majority of children drop out or do not get access to primary education not due to cultural or social reasons but simply due the lack of access to credit. Their venture focuses in providing credit in a profitable way to these deprived souls. There are similar programs in other parts of the world such as Bangladesh’s Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC).

According to the standards set by UNESCO primary schooling is defined as completion of grades 1-5. The success levels are measured by three parameters. . The first is net enrollment ratios for all children, disaggregated for boys and girls; the second is the percentage of children entering Grade One who complete Grade Five, and the third is the literacy rate among 15- to 24-year-old boys and girls. In India the drop out numbers are very high and in effect these children remain functionally illiterate for the rest of their lives.

The gross neglect and lack of a clear policy to improve the primary educational system in India is a serious lapse on the side of the government. Setting up of IIT’s at this juncture is clearly a move eyeing the next elections. When will we come out of this cheap vote bank political tyranny? Or are we destined to be like this forever? It’s said change is the only thing constant in this world, but seems like Indian politics is an exception!!!!!

The World is Indeed Flat...but not smooth...

2008-06-20T05:25:00.000-07:00

The international best seller book "The World is Flat", by Thomas Friedmann speaks of globalization and its impact on the 21st century.He suggests the world is "flat" in the sense that globalization has leveled the competitive playing fields between industrial and emerging market countries. In his opinion, this flattening is a product of a convergence of personal computer with fiber-optic micro cable with the rise of work flow software. He termed this period as Globalization 3.0, differentiating this period from the previous Globalization 1.0 (which countries and governments were the main protagonists) and the Globalization 2.0 (which multinational companies led the way in driving global integration).He details on his visit to the silicon valley of India,Bangalore that boasts of world class corporates like GE,Google,Infosys..well the list is endless.
But my experience of Bangalore on the contrary was a city that's double sided, one with glit and glamour of the corporate and just behind the ITPL(International Tech Park) I saw a huge dump yard of plastics and e-waste.I was on my way to the GE Global Research campus for my internship.To my dismay I saw 3 kids , half naked,coming out of the dump yard with an innocent smile on their face holding plastic bags filled with batteries and other electronic wastes.

There 's a grand debate on the issue of inclusive growth to reduce the growing disparity in economic growth doing its rounds everytime the nation approaches an election.60 years down the lane we still havent reached a stage where we can provide our children a basic standard of living.Mr.Friedmann is right the world is getting flatter with all the high tech gadgets and fiber optics ,but long way to go before it gets smooth....

Epicurean Physics and todays world!!!!

2008-06-20T03:45:00.000-07:00

Epicurus' philosophy of the physical world is as follows
"If a limited form lives within an unlimited void, the form could only wander aimlessly about, because what is unlimited is ungraspable; meaning, the limited form would travel forever, for it does not have any obstacles. The void would have to be limited in quality and the form of an unlimited quality, for an unlimited form can oscillate and seemingly grasp—practically, but not literally—an unlimited number of spots within the limited void. "(courtesy:wikipedia)
Does it strike any chord with our present day lives.Ponder over it and all are free to interpret it the way they want:):)

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Are we running Backwards??

2008-06-20T01:50:00.000-07:00

When Dr.Ambedkar and his team drafted the constitution of India,it was with a great vision and dream.They envisioned India as a developed nation socially,economically and politically.They came up with a strategy to uplift the deprived classes in the country by means of reservation.Decades down the lane our country is in a state of dichotomy.A fast forward "Shining Bharath" surging ahead in business, technology and banking and another "Reserved Bharath" making hue and cry to move backward.
Todays The Hindu carried an interested article "68% Reservation in Rajasthan".Out of every 100 people 68 people have reservation.There are moves to even give reservation for economically backward ,so called "forward castes"!! The day is not far away when there will be a reservation for unreserved people...Hail India!!!!!!!!

Myself Me and You

2008-06-20T01:39:00.000-07:00

I believe there are 3 important "mutually exclusive" facets of every individual. MYSELF, ME and YOU.Physically these three attributes corresponds to MYSELF as seen by me,ME as seen by the rest of the world,YOU as how I see the rest of the world respectively.The first and third are relative in nature but the second aspect MYSELF is absolute to each individual and perhaps the most important one too.Now since myself is absolute ,it defies the famous theory of relativity and all laws of science are ineffective here.Where science fails,spirituality succeeds and from here spirituality takes over.Hinduism speaks of "atma" or the inner soul,which is absolute in nature.

WHO AM I???

2008-06-20T01:35:00.000-07:00

The toughest question I have faced in my life is "Who are you ?".I have asked myself a million times who am I? The answer for this million dollar question still eludes me.But nevertheless I do know bits and pieces of my identity .Again another question arises,the fragmented truths I know about myself ,are they illusions I have framed or are they eternal truths? Firm introspection made me realize a very important fact as Sigmund Freud said "We are our Desires". One's desires shape his identity ,same applies for me too.But then comes yet another important question.Our desires keep changing,so does that mean our identity too keeps oscillating?Thats a debatable issue .

So how do I open up myself to you ? Through my desires,my goals, my ambitions or with a jugglery of my literary skills? Maybe a proportion of all the above will be the best.