Beauty in Guwahati

They are not the blues, but amazing greens. At the campus of IIT Guwahati, I happened to click these pics around the guest house where I was put up- these guys live in a natural paradise. See for yourself-

Super 30 - Film Review

Disclaimer: As a general principle, I am against coaching classes of all kinds. But these are a way of life (like the internet based media) that you cannot wish away..

There are a few good things about this film. And a couple of questions that I had. First, the good things.

The acting is good. Hrithik Roshan, the kids, Pankaj Tripathi and whoever played the Excellent Coaching boss. The guy who played Hrithik's dad was very good too. Even the female love interest of Hrithik's, though she had little to do after the first twenty minutes.

The film makes a very good point for social justice in education, and the fact that the right kind of education can transform a family's future...logically, though, every university should strive to provide this transformational education, and not just a handful of IITs. Something to think about? Of course, State governments are responsible for the state universities. And promoters, for the private ones, which are yet to match the Central government institutions in quality (in India).

The villainy is over-dramatised, I thought, and the positives take a back-seat during those scenes.

Academicians and academics do get their due through the central character- education is the winner.

A question that I had- why was Hrithik looking unwashed in the second half of the film?

Worth seeing the film. Certainly beats the current alternatives by a few marks. :)

Life in the Next Century

Obviously, not mine..this is 2091 and beyond, not 2019..

You come into this world. Your Mom takes a selfie with you (and Dad if he is around), and sends it up simultaneously on all media- before anyone can ask her What's Up, it's on WhatsApp.

You sign up a few friends on Instagram before you leave the hospital- could be other kids born nearby. You go home, and meet relatives- via Skype, of course, and they send you flying kisses. Less scope for infections, you see..all for the good.

You get an online application for Kindergarten, High School, IIT and IIM, all at the same time, and fill them up with the help of your 10 year-old sibling. Also, a passport application, just in case..

You play with friends, all possible games online, and go to school-also online. You download directly into your brain all the content shared by teachers, and then write exams by Thought Reader- the teacher can directly read your thoughts by scanning your brain.

You date people by going to restaurants in the Second Life, and imagining you ate/drank. You give a rating to your date, and she/he does the same to you.

You choose one of these eventually, and live happily ever after- she/he in their home, and you in yours.

How does this sound for Utopia?

What If?

Some thought-provoking What ifs..

What if...

Mahatma Gandhi came back and saw what he had fought for?

There were no IITs and IIMs?

The Arms Race had not progressed beyond Bows and Arrows?

The Kapoors had not entered Bollywood?

Kamal Haasan did not have a moustache?

We did not have a regular supply of jokers in real life?

Manoj Kumar could act?

the ghost of Kishore Kumar entered the likes of Arijit Singh?

Women were powering politics across the world?

Hamlet was Canadian (Trudu or not Trudu?)

McDonald's and Coke had not been invented?

Narayanamurthy and Nagesh Kukunoor visit IIM Indore

The Narayanamurthy interaction was unplanned. It was prompted by Mr. Murthy being here for laying the foundation stone for his company's Indore office. He told us that he'd done the same at Nagpur yesterday. Looks good for both cities. IT is coming to them. Both cities are nice to live in, and the young IT crowd will make it more vibrant.

He was brilliant in fielding questions from students of the Exec Program and the PGP. He also did not hold back his punches, when he said we have wasted ten years in governing wrongly, but inspired the students  by saying they could still do it- transform the country by being disciplined and putting country before self.

His analysis was backed by solid examples. He lamented that the coaching classes had killed IITs. He also presented his views on attrition at Infosys and laid the blame on the top management for ills at the bottom.

Nagesh Kukunoor was invited by students conducting Mridang, the campus fest. His film Lakshmi was screened before the interaction with him. More on the film later.

Pressures and Unhappiness

There is all kinds of pressure these days from your cradle to your grave. These grave thoughts are the result of some weekend ruminations. Whenever one hears cricket commentary, one remembers the words Manovaigyanik dabaav (Psychological pressure) used by erstwhile Hindi commentators.

These pressures can be of various kinds. To conform, to comply, To fall in line, to be what someone else wants you to be, to keep up with the Maniklals, etc.. What you do with them can result in happiness or otherwise- yours and that of others.

We frequently think that a faster (or bigger) car will bring us happiness, and do double duty to earn enough to buy it. But how many guys actually go out on a long trip in their car- big or small? Research may show that these are fewer than imagined. So the car ends up causing parking problems for everyone, if you are in a metro, rather than joy for the owner. The stares you get are less envious, and more about the nuisance caused by your giant ego-sized vehicle.

Anyway, setting aside cars for a moment, unhappiness can be caused by pressures to perform in fields that you did not choose, or did not apply your mind to choosing. Artists the world over have been represented as rebels, who did exactly what they wanted, and who were often carefree and poor monetarily. There may be a symbolism in this stereotype. It is not that being rich makes you a boor all the time, but it is the setting of your priorities that counts towards happiness over a long time.

Resisting the pressure to be yourself is possible only with some level of economic independence- at the very least, the capacity to feed yourself. Those who can, must try and do what they feel like, and not worry about the guy or gal next door who prepares for an IIT test or whatever else.

Gems of wisdom? Too late in the day? Could be.

IIT Di

Inspired to title it this way by the numerous di's and da's all around us who are becoming more important by the day. And also a general kolaveri of the original kolaveri di fame- those who haven't heard of this, please excuse-and update thyself.

What I meant to say is that I went to IIT Dilli for a conference whose theme is Excellence in Higher Education. And got a chance to interact with a few interesting returned NRIs among other beings. They are heading some new institutions-universities mostly, and in the private sector. So the boom may have begun, both for NRIs and univs. Hopefully it will attract good students and build a virtuous cycle.

A mass of macro level data was also presented and discussed, which generally makes little sense to me as I am a micro-brained person- I refer to its size, not pre-occupations.

Anyway, it was a nice experience and an ego-boost, because I met some readers of my text book, and they said they liked the book. So, I should attend more such conferences, is my major takeaway. Hopefully someone will host a few!