My first attempt at any kind of fiction, let alone 55er. It reminds me of those good old days in Xth when we had 50 words as word limit for notices and messages. Exceed the limit by 1 or 2 words, -1/2. Exceed by more than 2 words, -1. It is 55 now. So let’s see.
***
Ramesh was in a fix. Physics was tomorrow and today is Hindi. Four chapters from literature! But he thought today was Physics! Why do they have Hindi in IITs?! Now only physics could rescue him. He sat down quietly and closed his eyes. As he opened his eyes, he was back in his room!
***
PS: That is what I call true teleportation.
PPS: If only they could use technology for such useful purposes. As an aside, why don’t they simply filter out the vuvuzela frequencies instead of banning it?
I was a DCEite once. That was 2 years ago before I cleared JEE and made my way to IIT. That was when DCE was the college where nothing ever happened. Except mass bunks. You could graduate out of DCE and yet you wouldn’t know that you had an engineering degree under your belt. It was all calm out there. But then this happened some time back. DCE got converted into DTU: Delhi Technology University.
Small Fish in A Big Pond
It didn’t sound very good. But well, I thought: it must be for the better. If not, it was possibly a publicity gimmick before the Commonwealth Games. That is all. After all, Indians have an affliction towards changing names. Bombay –> Mumbai, Calcutta –> Kolkata, Madras –> Chennai… the list goes on. If this could be the fate of 3 of the 4 metro cities of India (and that of DIT NSIT too!), then I guess DCE is just a small fish in a big pond. And how did it matter anyway?
A Reason To Protest
There was a catch though. When DCE got upgraded(?) to DTU, the fees got hiked and the student intake increased. Now, disturbing as it may sound, I am sure this wasn’t the only reason for the disturbance. Such events always build up. I could draw an analogy with the Rohit Kumar case. Although everyone at IIT knew of the poor state of affairs of B.C. Roy, nobody really cared as much till the incident. The incident gave them a reason to protest.
The Events
What followed (in fact what generally follows) is a string of protests in support of their cause: candlelight marches, rallies, exam-bunks (as a mark of protest!) and the demands. As an outsider now, all of this seemed a little irrational to me. Why did they want themselves to upgraded to IITs? Didn’t we have 14 IITs already which were struggling to cope up with the existing infrastructure. (Ever tried sharing a room meant for a single person?) If they thought becoming IITs would alleviate their condition, couldn’t they be more mistaken. (And yeah, IITs have proposed a fee hike to Rs 4 lakh a year. Beat that.)
A Pattern
You could protest against the administration in DCE/DTU. Try that in IIT. And IIT without JEE? It may sound very romantic. But let me tell you my dear friends, JEE exists for a reason. And CGPA? Hah! as if it is going to really make a difference. Why decorate the demands with all these when all you want is better infrastructure? Oh, this might also be a nice chance to settle a few personal scores: The Director, the Sports Director and the rest of them. Didn’t we do that in Kgp as well? Who is the present Director of IITKgp now?
Coming to a Consensus
I could really see frightening parallels. This was how students protested the world over. And this was how the administration reacted: almost always. It is almost a pattern. And yet those protesting failed to see it.
I have been a part of DCE. And possibly a part of me is still in DCE yearning for the college life that I had there. But possibly my experience at IIT has made me look at things from a slightly different perspective. And as I write this post, I wonder if the protests could serve their purpose without drowning in the irrational? Could there be a genuine attempt to come to a consensus rather than just being a part of the mob? Could DCEites display a certain amount of maturity in dealing with such matters. After all, they consider themselves the crown in the crown of Delhi.
P.S.1: I am aware that this post might draw some sharp reactions from certain corners. However, I would ask you to ponder on what I have written above before jumping to conclusions.
P.S.2: I changed over from DCE to IIT. Mixed feelings. DCE becomes IIT. Feels a little strange.
It has been a long and tumultuous year. It was one year back that I made my entry to the wonderful world of blogging. From the blog that it was to the blog it is has been quiet a journey. I must thank my friends and my readers who have patiently read some of my good and not so good posts.
Thank you all. Sigh!
It has also been year where IIT has really shown its Aukaat, so as to say. 3rd semester hasn't been easy. First OP and then the wonderful grades that I managed all thanks to Signets. For the information of those who do not know - Signals and Networks is the most dreaded course in IIT Kharagpur in the 2nd year. Rumour has it that there was only one A and one Ex given in the course last year. And well... ah! my marks in the mid-sems weren't really great to put it mildly. [The Algorithms course didn't make help matters :( ]
I have turned into a weighlifter (no! it isn't the same as body-building. Please!!). And there has been an evolution in my outlook towards things all round. (That happens every year I guess!).
For me, it hasn't been about --- well --- whatever has been the news --- it has been a long drawn out struggle. But I won't draw my readers into it all. I remain the optimist that I have always been. And with that, here is Jazzy signing off for the year.
A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year to all my esteemed readers.
As I was surfing through the flotsam and jetsam of the blogosphere, I came across this post on Classification of Students - A professor of Network Analysis taking a dig at the students on Teacher's Day. And frankly speaking, this was it. Emotions were up to the brim and I had to defend the students.
This is the student version - to which the readers are free to add on and comment upon. A Professor/Teacher at any given instance of time may belong to one or more of the categories.
# The OK Professor
This is the really annoying kind. Talking to them is a real pain in the neck. Their lectures are peppered with OKs, Does This Makes Sense and aahh.. aahh..
They are really nervous while teaching. Or probably, they developed this bad habit in spite of all the training.
In one class that I still remember, the professor had uttered 180 OKs in a span of 30 minutes - that averages to 6 OKs per minute! Or an OK every 10 seconds! Does that make sense? OK?
# The Somnolent Professor
Though the professor is a master in his subject and his presentation is immaculate, there is something in his lecture that puts everyone to sleep.
The professor may not realize it but half the class would be sleeping. It maybe because of his dull voice (rather monotonic?), probably his haphazard manner of going about things or it maybe just nothing at all. But he justs puts everyone to sleep.
# The Peace Maaru Professor
Really doesn't believe in working very hard. Will teach as much as he is paid for. Nothing more.
Comes to the class 10 minutes late and leaves the class 10 minutes early. Solves a question on the board in the whole class and doesn't bother the students much. His policy is - "Live and let Live".
# The Dynamic Professor
This is the professor who feels that the students should get the best out of his class. He gives them a lot of assignments and takes surprise tests.
He is young, energetic and full of passion for his subject. He thinks - "I should try to become the Ideal (Utopian?) professor."
# The Motivators
These are generally the old guys. Already in the teaching profession for 20 to 30 years, they know that whatever they teach is not going to make much of a difference. If however they can motivate some of the students to do something in life, they would have accomplished something.
Their lectures are filled with quotes from the Gita and the Bible. They borrow extensively from Shiv Khera and think that their plagiarism would go unnoticed. One can stand them for a day or two but the rest of their lectures are just "Rewinding the Tape".
# The Pundits
The really knowledgable ones. They have worked in the industry for some time and their breadth of knowledge puts you to awe.
But their lectures are hardly organised. They would start of with programming in C and end up with the reactions that take place in a rocket launcher.
Their lectures can be really hilarious and fun. But it won't do you any good for your exams.
# The Sadists
They may not be sadists at heart. But some of their activities really annoy the students.
If they are invigilators in the exam hall, they might as well throw out half the candidates out of the hall for plagiarism/not bringing admit card/ringing of the mobile phone.
When they evaluate the papers, one really wonders if he had been having breakfast while evaluating the paper. And worse of all, when the answer scripts are shown, the professor is out of town.
They may be excellent teachers. But rarely student friendly.
# The Liberals
They are the modern professors. They believe in modern methods of teaching. They ask students of the opposite gender to sit together in class and they come in casuals instead of formal wear to class.
Their evaluation is liberal and they are a real hit with the students.
I will stop here. I think this is the basic classification. Did I miss any? Have any to add on to this? Do let me know!
Travelling involves a lot of preparation. More so, in Bengal.
As I was travelling from Burdwan to Kolkata by train, I was given some funda on travelling
Board the last bogie (Reason? The last bogie turns out to be the first bogie when it arrives in Howrah)
There won't be much space to stand. But do not sit.
The second needs some explanation. In fact, it didn't make much sense to me till I boarded the train. The train seemed to be empty. But all the seats appeared to be reserved. Rather "Handkerchiefed" (something that some of my friends really hate about Bengalis) or "Trump Carded" whatever you may like to call it.
F: Do not sit. Possibly, you may be called to sit.
As I linger about the empty seats, one of those sitting beckons me to sit. He removes a card and gives me a seat. I sit down skeptically.
In a while, the train fills up and the passengers seem to be seated comfortably.
Enter the Dalal.
Medium height, photocromatic eyeglasses and a thick shock of hair oiled in coconut oil. He comes and collects the cards. Counts them. 25 cards. One missing. Sits down besides me.
D: Dutta da, Maal ta din (Give me the goods!)
Dutta da: Diye debo. Apni tho amar bondhu (Will give you. You are my friend)
D: Jhule jhule jaaben, sheta ki bhalo lagbe? (Would you like to go standing in the crowded train?)
As I was about to doze off in the hubbub, what appears to be a 10 rupee note grazes past my shoulder. As I open my eyes, I can see the Dalal writing down carefully on a piece of paper Rs 10 against Dutta da.
Some Quick Calculations
I make some quick calculations. 26 people. Rs 10. That makes it Rs 260. Now if the Dalal loses a card daily. Then he has to buy a new deck every fortnight. Rs 260 minus Rs 20 / 2 = Rs 250. How much does the Dalal get? Rs 1000 every month (one way!). Not bad if it is weekly.
Now could this weekly or monthly? Would I be willing to pay Rs 10 for a seat if my ticket was for Rs 30 x 7 = Rs 210. How much was that? Roughly 5%. What if it was monthly? It would too low to be even significant. If it was weekly, the Dalal would be earning a handsome amount all for nothing! (If the Dalal earned Rs 15000/month at his office in Kolkata, this would contribute to roughly 10% of his income!). But what if it was monthly?
I was all confused and was about to doze off when it dawned on me that it wasn't 26 people. It was more than that. One couldn't have the same 26 people travel on all 30 days. He was reserving seats for more than 26 people. Maybe 50. Maybe 100. Couldn't tell where his boundaries ended and the next Dalal's boundaries started.
Some Open Questions
Suddenly, what appeared to be a mere gimmick for seats in a train looked like brisk business. And everybody paying/getting paid was equally culpable! Consider the number of Dalals one could have - If one had 2 Dalals per bogie and 15 bogies per train, the amount that went ??? was Rs 2000 x 30. And considering the number of local trains that crisscross the Indian railways daily, here are some questions I leave the reader to ponder upon
Where do all these big numbers go when multiplied and added?
Where do they come from? (My answer: The taxpayers)
If you were a daily passenger, would you pay Rs 10 for a seat?
P.S: Do keep one thing in mind while answering the last question. You are an avid Card player. You love bridge/poker whatever and it is very difficult to play cards if you are standing. Now, would you pay Rs 10 for a seat?
2000 bucks doesn't come easy. Atleast not in a country where people are struggling to earn that much in a year.
Why spend that much when you can have something better for nothing?
#2. Windows is clumsy
If you haven't found out already, let me tell you this. Windows is clumsy. Downright clumsy. Try doing something and it will take tons of time. It'll freeze. It'll report viruses. Tons of problems.
#3. Who is in control?
Million dollor question. Who is in control of your PC? You or Bill Gates?
Can you do what you want in your PC. Can you get your updates whenever you want? Can you get the simplest jobs done hassle free?
#4. Secure?
Windows isn't secure. It cannot be secure. Simple logic. Being the most popular operating system, all viruses are made for Windows. All Trojan Horses are made for Windows.
Viruses and Windows. Made for each other.
Everything is made for Windows. Can it be secure?
#5. Windows is dumb
Yup. It is dumb. It is copied. Microsoft is business. Business by hook or by crook. Try something new and you'll know the difference.
August was hectic. So has September been. First Orientation Programme and then the mid semester exams (More about OP, SOP and other campus happenings in another post).
Right now, I'll rush through an idea that I had been doodling with for some time. In fact, the post on traffic congestion was a by-product of an attempt to present my idea.
Here is the idea.
Ever seen a busy road from above? Like the bird would see it?
Next time you go on a footover bridge - observe. If it is anytime in the evening, what do you see?
A lot of red lights moving in one direction and a lot of yellow lights moving in the other direction. Right?
That is common sense. Yellow headlights and red brake lights.
What more do you see?
Invariably, you'll see the yellow lights outnumber the red lights. Or vice-versa.
My question. Couldn't we device a mechanism that would allow traffic flow in such a way that maximum amount of road-space is utilised?
More specifically, could we have flexible road dividers?
Dividers that moved depending on the traffic distribution.
Give it a thought. And do let me know.
Couldn't we give those on the left lane more road space?
STATUTORY WARNING: The ideas being presented below have not been tested in any laboratory. Try them at your own risk.
10. Eat Well
This is somewhat an equivocal statement. How you interpret it depends on the situation.
For instance, it is always advisable to have breakfast in the morning. Here "eat well" translates into "have food".
On the other hand, one of the best known methods to stay awake in the class is - "Avoid heavy food."
9. Sleep Well
Again depends. (Am I being too diplomatic?)
Try doing a "night out" and attend classes. It feels like hell.
Converse is also true.
Try attending a lecture after you had a wonderful dream and you'll know what is heaven and what is hell.
8. Bathe well
Again depends. (What is all this crap? Sounds like a tape recorder on an infinite loop?!)
There are days when I have taken a nice shower and gone to the class all charged up only to find my friend waking me up at the end of the lecture.
7. Exercise Well
I have tried almost everything. But nothing seems to work.
Some time back, I started exercising before going to the class.
I would run one round of the 2.2 km stretch or go to the gymnasium.
Aerobic exercise supposedly gets your blood circulating and keeps you awake.
But that is theory. It didn't 'work out'.
6. Take a deep breath
This is some advice I got from some well wishers.
Deep breathing is supposed to increase the oxygen supply to the brain and keep you alert during an important lecture.
Works! But only for a few days! :(
5. Back Counting
Start from 100 and back count to 1. The best I have gone is to 64.
There are variations you may try out - prime numbers, Fibonacci sequence.
But (as the cliche goes) it simply doesn't work.
4. Talk well
Works! But unfortunately, some professors get really annoyed if you gossip in class.
Moreover, talking is a little counter-productive and the whole point of attending the lecture is lost.
3. Bunk Classes
Counter-intuitive. Why bunk a few good lectures just to stay awake in the somnolent lecture?
Nevertheless, Bunking serves as a welcome break and one can come back to the next class without any reason to feel exhausted.
2. Sketch/Scribble/Anagram/Ambigram/Whatever
The professors can serve as ideal subjects for caricature/sketch/whatever. This has proved to be one of my best strategies to stay awake in class. Just scribble away and stay awake!
1. This is going to be Reader's Choice. You can leave your ideas as comments to this post. The best one gets nominated as the 1. Strategy to Survive a Somnolent Lecture.
This is what one of my friends at LSR had to say about the mishap at Metro Station
yep rt in front of college!we'v been walkin under that darned thing fer a yr now... the level idioticness in this place never ceases to amaze me!! no one could care a sweet damn! its all about dead lines!
I said to myself - Well, this isn't new. Keeps happening at construction sites. Delhi metro has an excellent track record. One shouldn't be blaming Delhi metro for one odd incident.
She goes on to say
dude this happened during the asian games run up as well!!2 flyover collapses!!:P
Again I think - nothing new. 96 people had died during the construction of the Hoover dam at Las Vegas. 5609 people died during the construction of the Panama canal.
DMRC head Sreedharan had resigned from his post and the Delhi government had rejected his resignation.
Looked like the DMRC had played its cards right and all will be well.
Then comes the second blow.
In what appeared to have been a case of negligence, the news channels flash the video of three cranes toppling over unable to take the weight of a beam at the same time.
I reconcile myself again - happens.
The first suicide at Kgp didn't stop the second suicide. One incident of racial abuse in Australia didn't stop more incidents. One tends to repeat things.
Uncertainty Principle
Moreover, scientifically speaking events cannot be predicted with complete accuracy: there is always a degree of uncertainty. If you may like, you may ascribe the randomness to God.
But science has redefined its goals: the aim being to formulate laws that enables them to predict events only up to the limit set by the uncertainty principle.
[This is how Stephen Hawking describes the aims of science in his highly acclaimed book A Briefer History of Time]
Then I wake up next morning.
A third incident has happened at Mumbai - again concerning the Metro. A steel scaffolding had collapsed.
This sets me to thinking - could this be randomness?
Can we ascribe it to the uncertainty principle?
Certainly not.
Moreover, all the three incidents involved Gammon India. Was it merely chance?
Certainly not.
Is Gammon India culpable?
I won't pass a verdict - because I haven't investigated the incidents. Nevertheless, the sequence of events do raise suspicions.
There is enough reason to believe that the circumstances that led to such an incidents demands that the engineers didn't stick to the right procedures.
Can engineering excellence be sacrificed at the cost of meeting deadlines?
Certainly not.
The Delhi Metro which has an excellent track record needs to keep in mind that what they call %errors in experiments can become a question of life and death for some.
Avoidable? The first mishap may not have been avoidable. The second may not have been avoidable. But three is one too many.
It makes one believe that all three incidents were avoidable.
Everyday, I am faced with the problem of traffic congestion. We all face the problem 365 days of the year.
It cannot be escaped. It has become a part of us. We have started accepting it.
Believe it or not, it takes me 45 minutes to go to Pattom from my home in Trivandrum - a mere 5 km.
Nevertheless, I am an incorrigible optimist who believes that things will change and for the better. So what is the solution to traffic congestion?
Mass Rapid Transport?
Call it the metro, maglevs or the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit Systems) - they have a huge potential notwithstanding the failure of the first BRT corridor in Delhi.
Mega Cities?
Will we stop travelling? Will our needs be fulfilled in a single mega city. A city which houses not just our homes but also our offices. As the cliche goes, no dream too big. Who knows?!
Flying Cars?
When most people think of flying cars, they think of the Jetsons. Nevertheless, flying cars are in the process of getting perfected and it won't be long before we see commercial flying cars.
With the introduction of flying cars, we will be transporting our domain from the two dimensional to the 3 dimensional - a many fold increase in the traffic space. I have my reservations though. Will the flying cars aggravate the already existing air traffic problems? Will there be more collisions in the air than on the earth? These are questions that can answered only after the first commercial flying car is available.
Going back to cycles?
Many have argued that cycles are the best means of transportation. The environment is spared, so also are deadly accidents. Not only that, bicycles occupy a fraction of space occupied by cars and buses. This ways they can navigate even the most crowded streets easily.
I doubt whether bicycles will be adopted for long distance travel. But surely when it comes to intra-city travel, bicycles sure have a future.
Bicycle Transit Systems are being developed in which air will be moved through the system in the same direction in which the bicyclist is riding.
If you wish to find out more about the pioneering ideas in the field of Bicycle Transit Systems that have been coming up, you may visit the official site of the Bicycle Transportation Systems, Inc here
Wimbledon finals are around the corner & the winning party has been coming up with innovative ways to celebrate their victory.
A victory has always been celebrated with firecrackers & sweets. But the new mantra to celebrating a victory is ingenuity. So here are 5 ways to spice up your victory celebration.
Chest Thump
Unfortunately, the Bryan Brothers known lost in the Wimbledon finals to the Nestor/Zimonjic pair this year. Nevertheless, the pair has been known for its signature chest thump.
There you are. This is what I was talking of. This is a subtle variation of the chest thump we do with our fists when we are proud of ourselves. The Bryan Brothers are proud of each other.
Take off your Shirt
This was popularised by SouravGanguly aka Dada/Prince of Kolkata when he took off his shirt after India won in the Natwest Series final in 2002.
Tempo Shout
This must be new to non-Kgpians. Below is the video of the Tempo Shout of Nehru Hall. Nehru may be suitably replaced by one's own organisation.
Dance
Jiggle dance, booty dance - call it what you want to. ShanthakumaranSreesanth is the thrilling face of bold new India. And he has shown all Indians how to celebrate - aggressively. The Huddle
This was a familiar sight during the 2003 edition of the world cup when the Indian Cricket team were runners up. After every wicket, the team would gather in a huddle and (discuss team strategy?) cow down the opposition.
The idea was supposedly touted by the veteran spin bowler of the Indian Cricket team AnilKumble Sandy Gordon, a psychologist who was working with the Indian Cricket team. All the team members had supported the idea unequivocally.
Another innovative way to celebrate your victory.No matter how you big or how small your victory. A victory is always sweet.
So why not celebrate it with pomp and show?
How do you celebrate?
P.S. I have updated the post. The huddle it seems wasn't Anil Kumble's idea but Sandy Gordon's. Nevertheless, huddles have existed for some time. The reader who is more interested about it may read the wikipedia article on huddles.
syllogism/sil-uh-jiz-uh m/noun(technical) a way of arguing in which two statements are used to prove that a third statement is true
I first came across the idea while reading Freakonomics. Renowned author Steven Levitt in his international bestseller Freakonomics uses syllogism to explain the decreased crime rates in the US in the 90s.
Syllogism struck a chord with me.
Why do coconuts have water in them?
At the beach drinking coconut water, my sister asks
"Do you know why coconuts have water in them?"
"Coconut trees grow in the deserts. They need to conserve water."
"No. The coconut is designed to float in water and traverse many miles in the sea to germinate on another coast. Either way, they don't grow in deserts."
"No? Coconut trees grow where there is a lot of sand. Deserts have a lot of sand. Therefore coconut tree grows in deserts."
I hastened to explain.
This kind of argument is used in Mathematics as well.
"If line p is parallel to line q and line q to line r, then we can say that line p is parallel to line r"
The Ram-Chagol Argument
Here, my father quips
"This is what they call Ram-Chagol [Mountain Goat] argument."
"Ram Chagol has beard."
"Rabindranath Tagore had beard."
"Therefore Rabindranath Tagore is a Ram Chagol."
Whether Rabindranath Tagore was a Ram Chagol or not (no offence intended), I will leave it to the reader to ruminate, digest and decide.
What a shock RIP Michael Jackson - loss of a true legend!
He might not be here but his music is still alive! R.I.P Michael Jackson
RIP Michael Jackson. You have transcended generations, music fads and skeptics. You are a legend.
Thanks for the music and the moonwalk. bye, bye MJ. RIP.
I couldn't make head or tail of these tweets when I woke up in the morning to the news of Michael Jackson's death. It didn't seem real.
News channels were blaring the news on the headlines. Millions have been mourning over his death.
Fans on the camera talked passionately of his moonwalk, glove, ow!, crotch grabbing, plastic surgeries & his dress sense. Reporters dubbed him as the Peter Pan - the boy who never grew up.
For someone like me who has grown up in a milieu where Bollywood numbers are what people live and die by, Michael Jackson was certainly an exception. My mother who detests 'non-Indian' songs & movies to the core informed me of his sad demise the first thing in the morning.
I wasn't surprised. Nor was I shocked. It was a strange feeling. Very difficult to describe.
I wasn't a big fan of Michael Jackson. Never heard many of his songs.
But that doesn't mean a thing.
People discouraged me to listen to his songs. He was a drug addict, a child molestor & an eccentric character. Only his break dance stood out.
Nevertheless, I got to listen to some of his popular number when in high school & I was clearly mesmerised. I made it a point to see some of his videos when I got the opportunity.
Whether I am a fan of Michael Jackson or not, I cannot deny the genius of Michael Jackson - his ability. He is someone who has stood out & mesmerised generations. And that is why I am paying him a tribute.
May his soul remain the boy he always wanted to be.
Vasanth Kamath - speed cuber, curious character and my wing mate is a voracious reader. His room is always littered with books. I ask him - 'How do you manage to buy so many books?' He answers - 'I don't buy them all. I always ask for books as my Birthday present.'
One year on, I have become a bibliophile in some sense. The more books I read, the more I fall in love with them.
For the cynic who feels that reading books is a futile exercise - that what one gets out of reading 1000 pages is just 10 pages, here are 5 reasons to start reading books.
1. Authors are intellectual beings
An author's intelligence is almost always above the average human being's intelligence.
Research has shown that an author has an IQ of at least 130.
Even if you don't buy that or you don't believe in IQ scores, consider this. How many authors do you know who live in your neighbourhood?
I suppose, very few if not none. They are above the average plane. Their ideas count.
2. Powerhouse of Ideas
The author has specific ideas about a certain topic. And the author is an intellectual creature. Surely, their ideas count.
Pick up any book and you will find it packed with ideas and opinions which may well shape your life.
3. Role Models
There will be characters in certain books that may strike a chord. They might start serving as role models.
We would start looking up to the characters for courage and inspiration.
4. Pass Time
There is no better way to spend your time gainfully than by reading books.
Without having to attend any kind of courses, one can learn a lot just by reading books.
One can be satisfied of having spent one's spare time in a fruitful manner.
5. Experts recommend it
I was also a cynic. But when Arjun Malhotra and Sramana Mitra (who visited the Kgp campus) also recommended reading a lot of books, I started reading more and more.
If you are still not convinced, ask any person who you think is successful.
One thing they all have in common - they are voracious readers.
Role models are our idols. They are the ones from whom we draw inspiration and courage.
I admire
Dr. Manmohan Singh
For leading the nation.
It is no mean task to lead a nation of 1 billion - more so in as diverse a nation as India.
I admire him - not because he is an economist. Not because he is a visionary. Not because he is a man of character.
But because he leads India.
Roger Federer
For being as emotional as he is.
Federer may be ranked No.2. Or he may be the greatest player that tennis has ever produced. But I look up to him, not because he is a champion player but because
he doesn't suppress his emotions.
Because he is emotional - like normal human beings should be.
But aren't.
Ayn Rand
For believing in herself.
I find it difficult to believe that more than half a dozen readers should be interested in reading my posts.
Consider the faith Ayn Rand had in herself that made her come up with not just her own philosophy but believe that people would read her 1000 page epics.
Bill Gates
For being so rich.
He has not just created an empire that is difficult to create in the modern world, he has managed to ward off any threats that he has faced.
I don't admire Gates for his philanthropic achievements but simply because
Pre-monsoons showers have arrived in Thiruvananthapuram. The mercury has plummeted to a nadir providing respite from the summer heat.
Rainfall pattern here is similar to that of Guwahati. It drizzles incessantly for hours bringing the temperature down.
It is quiet unlike Bangalore or Delhi. In Delhi, it rarely rains. In Bangalore, it invariably rains during the night. By dawn, the rain would have halted confirming to the city's busy lifestyle.
Rainfall pattern in Kharagpur is particularly notorious. It almost always rains on Fridays - which spoiled innumerable ED (Engineering Drawing) sheets which I had painstakingly made in the classroom.
On Saturday mornings, when we had our NCC parade, the rain would have stopped. In fact, it never rained on Saturday mornings! However, as the sun sets, black clouds start hovering overhead and by evening, it would be raining heavily spoiling our plans for the evening.
I have never understood the Rain Gods (i.e. if any such God did exist). Why doesn't it rain when there is a drought? Why does it keep raining when not required? (for instance, when Mumbai was getting flooded)
And more importantly, why did it never rain when we had our NCC parades?
When a professor gets into the intricacies/details of a subject, the matter starts flying overhead.
On the other hand, give me a brief outline of the topic and I will fall in love with it.
That is why I found stick figures interesting - you get the idea in a few lines (literally!).
While sitting idle, I made a few stick figures - of activities I do during the day. Notice how simplistic they are and how powerfully they convey the idea.
I don't think I would be able to post for some time now because my mid-semester exams are fast approaching. I like to stage-manage - cram some stupid stuff in my brain in the last moment and puke it out in the exams.
I don't wish to bore you with the details of a really excruciating process. I wanted to talk of something more refreshing and not related to IIT in any manner - my Alma mater DPS RKPuram. I won't be talking of what everyone knows and sees on the face of it - but certain things I found interesting & different in my school & would like to share with you. You are free to draw your own conclusion.
I am not a good starter - but I must start somewhere - & so I pick up this quote that I found in our School Magazine
Shirts that were in are out
T-Shirts that were out are in
This is how the school magazine spoke of the change in the school uniform. It has always amazed me how innovative these people at RKPuram were. To deal with the untucked shirts, they simply change the uniform. It not only takes care of their uniform but also promotes their
Business
I must say that the school treats education in a very different fashion. They treats school education as a business unlike many other schools. (& do they have any right to do so? I leave it to you to think over it).
There is a fee for everything in the school - the school bus, the school diary, the school magazine & even get-togethers. I used to crib a lot about it early on - because back then I did not know about the various other projects the school was involved in like the.
AnubhavShiksha Kendra
This is a school for the underprivileged that functions after the regular hours of school. Students are free(??) to donate whatever small amounts they wish as a 'token of love and appreciation' for the work that the school is doing.
I could really never understand this initiative until I came to know of PadmaShriAwardee Dr. Chona's (our school Principal) daughter. She came into the category which these days we very subtly categorise as the 'differently abled'. I guess this had been the source of strength and inspiration for carrying out many such activities for noble causes.
Every week in the school assembly (we could have assemblys only once in a week or so because of the large strength of our school), Dr. Chona spoke of how they managed.
Quality and Quantity
hand in hand. I used to always wonder why she would boast of such a thing when the selection process was such that it took in only the very best. But then I realised that it is not just about taking in the best - it is about nurturing their talents.
All those who secured more than 90% in XIth in our batch were offered a tuition fee waiver. Our Principal had a remarkable knack in identifying talent & the guts to give them education for free - this is something that separated RKPuram from the rest of the schools in India.
And why does talent flock to this school? I would say because RKPuram has what is known popularly as a
Brand
It is some sort of a cycle. Once the brand is built you have to work less. The best come to this place and produce astonishing results year after year. And like it is with all other brands - you have to pay for it.
So was the experience worth all the money? (Incidentally, the fees that I had to pay here was 15 times the fees I had to pay in my previous school)
Would I take the same decision if I were asked to go back in time & choose between the various schools in Delhi?
Whatever the merits or demerits of RKPuram, it was a different experience - much different from all my previous schools - the atmosphere, the competition, the pen-downs, the Farewell, the discussions we had with our Principal & teachers on Philosophical & Scientific topics - I wouldn't have had it all in another school.
For those having no idea what CATC is - CATC is short for 'Combined Annual Training Camp'. It is a military style 10 day training camp which all NCC cadets in IITKgp have to go through. Those 10 days were probably the most tough (& memorable!!) 10 days of my life. In those 10 days I made a lot of new friends, learnt a lot of 'ek do ek' & above all I can now handle very adverse situations that I may encounter in my life.
The VenueBelda High School some 40 odd km from Kgp
When was it held26th Nov 08 to 05th Dec 08
Day 1-Day 4
Resynchronising the body clock
Washing utensils - This was valid for all the 10 days
Marching - This was the part I hated most. Parading in the hot sun, stamping the feet all over the ground & on - cow dung. In a nutshell it wasn't fun.
Tech Classes/Rifle classes :D - There were classes on map reading, SLR, Grenade and the .22 mm rifles. For some strange reason, these classes were held in the hot sun.
GD/Stories from Kashmir & Congo - Most of the time reserved for GD was turned into sessions hearing the brave exploits of our instructors in Kashmir, Sri Lanka & Congo.
Documentary/Film - A Documentary on the Indian Air Force & the film Dostana was shown to us spread over a 4 day period. The speakers were horrible. The ones used during an election campaign were used.
Day 5-Day 8
Drama - Some of our beloved friends were caught outside the camp. There was some high end Drama which I think cannot be described in a few words ;)
Inspection time
Exchange of caps, shoes and utensils
Yoga session
Endurance run/walk - Mast tha!! [It was awesome!!]. That is all I can say!!
Day 9 - Day 10
Cultural Activities - IITians mein tho bahut talent hota hai [IITians are very talented]. 2 skits on NCC - in one Gandhiji is in a very peculiar situation - the modern Gandhi.
Campfire - The ones who left on 4th itself missed this thing. This was the best part in the camp. Dancing to the beats of popular Hindi numbers around the Campfire was a lot of fun.
Departure - We went back in batches but not before we were counted innumerable times to make sure no one went missing.
What I shall take back from the camp?
Toilets - For those who have not attended the NCC camp this might sound a bit alien, but let give you a brief description of the toilets that we had to use during the camp. A deep trench had been dug covered with a tin sheet that is used in roofs. Holes were cut out in the sheet and separated by curtains, 16 in all. Pretty neat - eh?? One should have had a look at its condition by the end of the 5th day!!!
Bathing Points - sab kuch khula khula hai [Everything is open]. My roomie(roommate) didn't have a bath in the ten days. I had it thrice :D
Community Living - kamse kam 2 people sharing a bed [Atleast 2 people sharing a bed].
Guard Duty - Peace - koi parade nahi for two days [No parade for two days].
Posts
There you are. This is what I was talking of. This is a subtle variation of the chest thump we do with our fists when we are proud of ourselves. The Bryan Brothers are proud of each other.
