Now that I am back here, what amazes me is the fact that I haven't been here since last December - nearly half a year of no posts on a blog that I used to swear by!
I began writing this chronology of sorts at some point with a degree of seriousness to be able to read them back to myself sometime in the future. But then, I realise that I wrote to make sure I was doing something besides moping around back in the time when I used to post thrice a day. Now, I have much more free time on my hands, but I find myself sleeping for 3 hours a day, working for a few hours a day ( if my firm - oh, btw, I am selling insurance this summer at Max New York Life - want some? :) ) if my company's lucky - and for practically 10 hours a day ( it would be more, but I have some pretty hungry friends with voracious appetites ) , we play this obscure and (for me, it sure is ) mysterious card game called 29.
These addiction began well before exams though - We'd have one person leaving one table, just so another could join in. At one point of time, we even had two sets of chairs and tables laid out so two sets of teams could slug it out ;) That, friends, is our sort of MBA for you. Friends, games and food!
Also elections just happened - and it is amazing how very confused the Indian populace seems to be. Not that I blame them for it. One party has a thorough academician as its prime ministerial candidate, while the other has a propaganda artist with a party that exemplifies that very image. If only politics in India did not suffer from the pedigree that it has - err - enjoyed over the past half a century, we'd probably have a strong individual like a Barack Obama coming along and deciding to put his foot down. While America may have a lot of faults, the country has brought about change by challenging traditions and brings a young black president with promise to the ironically named White House. And well, no, I didn't vote. I would have, only I haven't taken the pain to go get myself registered. And yes, I know I am a big part of the problem as well.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Ahem
And for those who were looking for a funny post.
I have more important things to worry about than finding girlfriends for now - like, creating reasons for girlfriends to find me :)
Endterms, Project submissions, depleted finances, a flight back home. A lot awaits me :)
Sadly though, summer internship isn't on that list yet.
And oh yeah - I am an authority on How I met Your Mother, Battlestar Galactica and Coupling :D
Signing off with a cartoon -
I have more important things to worry about than finding girlfriends for now - like, creating reasons for girlfriends to find me :)
Endterms, Project submissions, depleted finances, a flight back home. A lot awaits me :)
Sadly though, summer internship isn't on that list yet.
And oh yeah - I am an authority on How I met Your Mother, Battlestar Galactica and Coupling :D
Signing off with a cartoon -
The shape of things to come.
And for those with a limited appetite for bad poetry and abstract prose,
Here's a more descriptive post. Over the past 6 months, I've done my washing - 5 times. I've developed new standards of hygiene hitherto undefined in the annals of student history ( most probably, because of how unlikely they are ). I've promised myself I won't put a smiley in this post.
Term 2 is ending, and if anything, all I've managed is to further my reputation as a prime geek with zero practical sense or comic timing. That, and have started to love sleep and computer games. Have developed a maniacal interest in the last minute, and have developed a talent for completing assignments at the last minute and typing out piles of management theory ( read 'crap'/faff/global stuff/bull****/any other terminology you may choose to use ). The funny thing is, some people seem to believe this.
The thing about life at a b-school is, when you keep attending the lectures and try to figure things out, often you'll end up not having answers to questions you hitherto had answers to. Funny, I know. But it does happen, and most folks with an MBA will agree - one becomes more measures with opinions, looks for 'strategy', 'justifications', 'analysis', 'solutions', 'proper presentation', 'real life case studies' and 'bullet points' to justify their thought. Giving structure is alright, but when did structure take precedence over plain old human thought? There are some aspects of life one must never try giving structure to - it is the shapelessness of these elements that give them their existence and charm.
Take for example, a blog post. Can you imagine how it would look with headings? ( except for this excellent post I read once by a friend about antics one can do at a market when bored :) )
( Sheesh.Have broken my promise too. gah! )
The one thing about MBA in India that I feel is very wrong is the en masse bombardment of assignments ( not to say I do them at all - that would be desecrating my reputation for ineptitude ) - as en exchange student friend of mine pointed out, in Eurpoean schools, the emphasis is not as much on the quantity of work, as on the quality. No wonder a lot of them are miffed. We folks are good machines, but bad intellectuals.
And oh yeah. Haven't been to the gym yet! :| ( and have broken my promise too. gah! )
Here's a more descriptive post. Over the past 6 months, I've done my washing - 5 times. I've developed new standards of hygiene hitherto undefined in the annals of student history ( most probably, because of how unlikely they are ). I've promised myself I won't put a smiley in this post.
Term 2 is ending, and if anything, all I've managed is to further my reputation as a prime geek with zero practical sense or comic timing. That, and have started to love sleep and computer games. Have developed a maniacal interest in the last minute, and have developed a talent for completing assignments at the last minute and typing out piles of management theory ( read 'crap'/faff/global stuff/bull****/any other terminology you may choose to use ). The funny thing is, some people seem to believe this.
The thing about life at a b-school is, when you keep attending the lectures and try to figure things out, often you'll end up not having answers to questions you hitherto had answers to. Funny, I know. But it does happen, and most folks with an MBA will agree - one becomes more measures with opinions, looks for 'strategy', 'justifications', 'analysis', 'solutions', 'proper presentation', 'real life case studies' and 'bullet points' to justify their thought. Giving structure is alright, but when did structure take precedence over plain old human thought? There are some aspects of life one must never try giving structure to - it is the shapelessness of these elements that give them their existence and charm.
Take for example, a blog post. Can you imagine how it would look with headings? ( except for this excellent post I read once by a friend about antics one can do at a market when bored :) )
( Sheesh.Have broken my promise too. gah! )
The one thing about MBA in India that I feel is very wrong is the en masse bombardment of assignments ( not to say I do them at all - that would be desecrating my reputation for ineptitude ) - as en exchange student friend of mine pointed out, in Eurpoean schools, the emphasis is not as much on the quantity of work, as on the quality. No wonder a lot of them are miffed. We folks are good machines, but bad intellectuals.
And oh yeah. Haven't been to the gym yet! :| ( and have broken my promise too. gah! )
Summer Chill in Winter
Monday Evening.
A very cold wind outside.
A very smelly room.
A couple of mice for company - Although they generally keep to themselves.
A lot of overdue reading.
Endterms :(
The prospect of going home after 6 months :)
Ghar ka khana! :D
Endterms :(
In flight meal!
Endterms :(
Credit Card bills :o
Too many smileys :|
Very little good music :(
Mango Pickle :)
Warm Quilt :)
Endterms :(
Summer Placement Ruins ( don't have a smiley for this - suggestions? )
A couple of awards won :)
Bad grades in marketing :(
Good grades in HR! ( ah, if only I had known )
Extremely depleted funds, massive loans :(
Okay, enough of that :) - You guys get the picture! ;)
A very cold wind outside.
A very smelly room.
A couple of mice for company - Although they generally keep to themselves.
A lot of overdue reading.
Endterms :(
The prospect of going home after 6 months :)
Ghar ka khana! :D
Endterms :(
In flight meal!
Endterms :(
Credit Card bills :o
Too many smileys :|
Very little good music :(
Mango Pickle :)
Warm Quilt :)
Endterms :(
Summer Placement Ruins ( don't have a smiley for this - suggestions? )
A couple of awards won :)
Bad grades in marketing :(
Good grades in HR! ( ah, if only I had known )
Extremely depleted funds, massive loans :(
Okay, enough of that :) - You guys get the picture! ;)
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Past Forward
Darn. I was looking for advertisements for a marketing project the other day,and stumbled upon some old Asian Paints advertisement - the one where the father gets the children's room painted with a tree. And that got me wondering...
It is sad, really. I have all of these memories from my childhood - large joint family dinners, going out to a hotel, playing cricket all day long ( getting hit by the ball - and bat ;) quite a few times )...and fast forward to the here and now. Computer games, email, social networking and the internet rule everywhere. My year in Noida gave me a whole new insight into what counts as the new teens - and it scares me. It is like these kids grow up too soon! They were rude, unfriendly...and worst of all, totally aloof. Our landlord's kid was a case in point. A very decent, interesting kid - but all he ever seemed to do was stay around at home and listen to music. Whatever happened to tea time cinema and football with the neighbourhood kids! I see 15 year olds dealing with relationship issues....Makes me wonder, really. If I was given a time machine to use as I wanted to, would I be able to dare to go out into the future?
It is sad, really. I have all of these memories from my childhood - large joint family dinners, going out to a hotel, playing cricket all day long ( getting hit by the ball - and bat ;) quite a few times )...and fast forward to the here and now. Computer games, email, social networking and the internet rule everywhere. My year in Noida gave me a whole new insight into what counts as the new teens - and it scares me. It is like these kids grow up too soon! They were rude, unfriendly...and worst of all, totally aloof. Our landlord's kid was a case in point. A very decent, interesting kid - but all he ever seemed to do was stay around at home and listen to music. Whatever happened to tea time cinema and football with the neighbourhood kids! I see 15 year olds dealing with relationship issues....Makes me wonder, really. If I was given a time machine to use as I wanted to, would I be able to dare to go out into the future?
First Month of MBA - The Bad,The Very Bad, and the Terrible
Well, I've lived through one month - and what a month it was! It had everything - intrigue, drama, failure, success, frustration,irritation,exercise (oh,a lot of it!)...and finally, it all comes down to this post a week before my first ever ( and hopefully,the first of many...okay,some successful ones ) mis..erm,midterms at MDI.
It has bee nan odd month, really. It all began with the horrors/thrills/chills(literally ;) )/discipline/good habits and (at that point of time, it was ) great mess food of the induction. That was one experience, I will take a while to forget ( unless of course, I screw up all my midterms, in which case the depression will take over all )..well,on to the story so far then.
It all began after the induction with my first day of actual classes - and I managed the unique and rather embarrassing distinction of mssing my first ever MBA class - because I was one minute late! :(
This, from a person who got to an office that paid him 2 and a half hours late - to make matters worse, there was a quiz in the first class, and everyone realised that prereads actually did mean prereads....luckily for me though, almost the whole class scored a 'perfect' score - in terms of shape, not numbers ;) - and I was the only one who got to boast that "I would have scored a 5 - had I been allowed to take the test" - I have a feeling though that I was the only one who faintly believed it.
With this sort of start ( and also, I stayed outside the classroom for the entire one and a half hour (another first, apparently - no such stunt was pulled at MDI before that, everyone else had the good sense to go to the hostel and get some sleep )even I was jolted...for a few days. Subsequently, I proceeded to miss my second statistics quiz too, leaving me with the lowest mark on statistics in the entire 2008 batch - including HR. I'll not mention the mark, since this is my blog, after all ;)
Besides this, I've started to work on my lack of exercise. I regularly ruin perfectly competitive games of badminton, football and tennis - and also, get a walk to the canteen now and then. I've got a lot of friends here, but I seem to be having the same problems I've always had - too many friends, too few langotiya yaars :( - I hope I have things to look back at come the end of two years.
Classes have been rather tough, but the faculty for most courses here is great! - that only means my already inane questions end up sounding even more desperate ( actually, in the LAB classes, the professor smiles even before I ask my questions now :) ) except for statistics and microeconomics though, all seems ..erm..passable for now. Will report further on the exercise later.
Things have been a bit tumultous on campus lately, with selections on for the various clubs. Didn't make it to Placecom ( tip for future students here, the engineering practice of expanding "I will work hard" into 250 words doesn't work here. ) or the IRC. Hopefully, I get through somewhere, since I won't have too much academic to show on my resume anyway ;)
And oh yeah. The weather sucks. Although its nice when it rains. And I am still single. Oh well.
Cheers!
It has bee nan odd month, really. It all began with the horrors/thrills/chills(literally ;) )/discipline/good habits and (at that point of time, it was ) great mess food of the induction. That was one experience, I will take a while to forget ( unless of course, I screw up all my midterms, in which case the depression will take over all )..well,on to the story so far then.
It all began after the induction with my first day of actual classes - and I managed the unique and rather embarrassing distinction of mssing my first ever MBA class - because I was one minute late! :(
This, from a person who got to an office that paid him 2 and a half hours late - to make matters worse, there was a quiz in the first class, and everyone realised that prereads actually did mean prereads....luckily for me though, almost the whole class scored a 'perfect' score - in terms of shape, not numbers ;) - and I was the only one who got to boast that "I would have scored a 5 - had I been allowed to take the test" - I have a feeling though that I was the only one who faintly believed it.
With this sort of start ( and also, I stayed outside the classroom for the entire one and a half hour (another first, apparently - no such stunt was pulled at MDI before that, everyone else had the good sense to go to the hostel and get some sleep )even I was jolted...for a few days. Subsequently, I proceeded to miss my second statistics quiz too, leaving me with the lowest mark on statistics in the entire 2008 batch - including HR. I'll not mention the mark, since this is my blog, after all ;)
Besides this, I've started to work on my lack of exercise. I regularly ruin perfectly competitive games of badminton, football and tennis - and also, get a walk to the canteen now and then. I've got a lot of friends here, but I seem to be having the same problems I've always had - too many friends, too few langotiya yaars :( - I hope I have things to look back at come the end of two years.
Classes have been rather tough, but the faculty for most courses here is great! - that only means my already inane questions end up sounding even more desperate ( actually, in the LAB classes, the professor smiles even before I ask my questions now :) ) except for statistics and microeconomics though, all seems ..erm..passable for now. Will report further on the exercise later.
Things have been a bit tumultous on campus lately, with selections on for the various clubs. Didn't make it to Placecom ( tip for future students here, the engineering practice of expanding "I will work hard" into 250 words doesn't work here. ) or the IRC. Hopefully, I get through somewhere, since I won't have too much academic to show on my resume anyway ;)
And oh yeah. The weather sucks. Although its nice when it rains. And I am still single. Oh well.
Cheers!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Who is the terrorist?
This is a post that has been 7 months in the making ( honest - i wrote the title 7 months ago and its been a 'draft' ever since ;) ) - but I felt with recent events ( the Mumbai blasts, and my endterms - both, exceedingly sad events ) I should complete this post.
Enough shenanigans then. What happened in Mumbai was not only sad, but also a prime example of the cowardice and malice that humanity is capable of - and while I am saying this, it also speaks volumes of the meticulousness of the planning that went into these attacks. However much we may decide to abuse our establishment, it cannot be said that they blindly let the enemy stroll into the Taj. Some form of security still does exist, but more than that, it is the sheer confidence with which the attacks were carried out - in broad daylight.
It is a war that cannot be won. And why? for the enemy lies within - and there is no operation that can take him out. When one sees a spot on one's skin, one knows what to do. But when there is no sign of the disease, what is one to do? - we saw the terminal stage of the disease manifest itself at Mumbai - but what one needs to understand, is why do human beings do this at all? We are the only species that kill our own kind - and not through any sort of biological programming, but through the emotions and intelligence that we prize. If intelligence has made us the one race capable of killing our own selves, then one is forced to question the point of intellect itself.
Organized terrorism is a relatively recent phenomenon in the history of the planet - and it got world recognition with the 9/11 killings in the US. Why is it that people seek to destroy to build anyway? Organized terrorism is a simple case of the manipulation of the mind by the misguided, yet superior intellect - the so-called 'eccentric'. Leaders who choose to assert themselves through mass killings. Every goonda king, every mafia don in this country is in essence a great leader drawn astray by the malice of greed, jealousy and hatred. Apparently, God did not mean for all leaders to be good.
There are those who say that we must understand the method to the madness of these radical individuals. But what method is there to indiscriminate killing. A person is hanged for killing someone - even if that act is revenge for grave personal harm. But what does one give to people who kill for the sake of glory?
Enough shenanigans then. What happened in Mumbai was not only sad, but also a prime example of the cowardice and malice that humanity is capable of - and while I am saying this, it also speaks volumes of the meticulousness of the planning that went into these attacks. However much we may decide to abuse our establishment, it cannot be said that they blindly let the enemy stroll into the Taj. Some form of security still does exist, but more than that, it is the sheer confidence with which the attacks were carried out - in broad daylight.
It is a war that cannot be won. And why? for the enemy lies within - and there is no operation that can take him out. When one sees a spot on one's skin, one knows what to do. But when there is no sign of the disease, what is one to do? - we saw the terminal stage of the disease manifest itself at Mumbai - but what one needs to understand, is why do human beings do this at all? We are the only species that kill our own kind - and not through any sort of biological programming, but through the emotions and intelligence that we prize. If intelligence has made us the one race capable of killing our own selves, then one is forced to question the point of intellect itself.
Organized terrorism is a relatively recent phenomenon in the history of the planet - and it got world recognition with the 9/11 killings in the US. Why is it that people seek to destroy to build anyway? Organized terrorism is a simple case of the manipulation of the mind by the misguided, yet superior intellect - the so-called 'eccentric'. Leaders who choose to assert themselves through mass killings. Every goonda king, every mafia don in this country is in essence a great leader drawn astray by the malice of greed, jealousy and hatred. Apparently, God did not mean for all leaders to be good.
There are those who say that we must understand the method to the madness of these radical individuals. But what method is there to indiscriminate killing. A person is hanged for killing someone - even if that act is revenge for grave personal harm. But what does one give to people who kill for the sake of glory?
...and the tale ends - with another beginning! :)
And with all of that, we come to the end of the season of me cribbing about work and CAT - and begin a new season of me cribbing about assignments and grades ;)
The season ends, and I find myself at MDI Gurgaon for my MBA this year. I am already in the spirit of the place, and have seen and fallen in love with the campus over and over again.I am sure I will have an awesome two years...
But there remains things that are ....undone. Although I always was waiting for the day when I would leave my job, there is an odd thing about everything that makes up life - when one leaves anything, the one thing one seems to remember are the good times one has had :) Funny how that is, but since we are lucky enough to remember the good times, we are unlucky enough to never really have them again too. Sad, how that works....no matter how many times I have read "Who moved my Cheese? " ( a phenomenon in marketing, how they got a children's story to sell in such massive numbers is beyond me...for now ;) ) - I still find it difficult to deal with change. Hopefully, this improves with time.
Then, we move to the auxiliary aspects of what I am expecting from B-school life - a satisfying social life ( which, considering my present situation, would mean even a date with a female tortoise would count :) ), a good academic scoresheet ( fat chance, eh? ;) )...and most of all, a great job! I am looking forward to this, and a lot of other aspects of bschool life I haven't discovered yet. :)
While leaving, I found out my boss does have a lot of respect for me. Sadly, he never really chose to show it earlier....oh well.Alls well that ends well,I guess.
So, again,I have packing to do, moving to a new place - Gurgaon ( even if it is the same NCR...it is still moving across three states ;) - and costs as much too ). A big thank ytou to all those who've encouraged,chided, been annoyed and frustrated by me - thank you for putting up with me! ( and hopefully,you continue to :) )
Cheers!
The season ends, and I find myself at MDI Gurgaon for my MBA this year. I am already in the spirit of the place, and have seen and fallen in love with the campus over and over again.I am sure I will have an awesome two years...
But there remains things that are ....undone. Although I always was waiting for the day when I would leave my job, there is an odd thing about everything that makes up life - when one leaves anything, the one thing one seems to remember are the good times one has had :) Funny how that is, but since we are lucky enough to remember the good times, we are unlucky enough to never really have them again too. Sad, how that works....no matter how many times I have read "Who moved my Cheese? " ( a phenomenon in marketing, how they got a children's story to sell in such massive numbers is beyond me...for now ;) ) - I still find it difficult to deal with change. Hopefully, this improves with time.
Then, we move to the auxiliary aspects of what I am expecting from B-school life - a satisfying social life ( which, considering my present situation, would mean even a date with a female tortoise would count :) ), a good academic scoresheet ( fat chance, eh? ;) )...and most of all, a great job! I am looking forward to this, and a lot of other aspects of bschool life I haven't discovered yet. :)
While leaving, I found out my boss does have a lot of respect for me. Sadly, he never really chose to show it earlier....oh well.Alls well that ends well,I guess.
So, again,I have packing to do, moving to a new place - Gurgaon ( even if it is the same NCR...it is still moving across three states ;) - and costs as much too ). A big thank ytou to all those who've encouraged,chided, been annoyed and frustrated by me - thank you for putting up with me! ( and hopefully,you continue to :) )
Cheers!
Sunday, May 04, 2008
While we wait...
...I have to pass more time now - and since my laptop is barely able to show the opening credits of a movie without shutting down ( heating issues...apparently, my laptop is 'seasonal' now - won;t work in summers :( )...I am now forced to go to theatres for entertainment ( and ah, do they entertain! bless the people who thought of having movies at malls :) )
Anyway, have seen three movies over the past week, all of which merit atleast a smallish review each. Iron Man, The Forbidden Kingdom and last of all, Khuda ke liye - which was one of the more serious movies I have seen recently. Awesome movies, all three of them - especially the scene in Forbidden Kingdom when Jackie Chan and Jet Li fight in the temple!
( But then again, the Iron Man flying in all his glory was awesome too ;) )
Anyway, have seen three movies over the past week, all of which merit atleast a smallish review each. Iron Man, The Forbidden Kingdom and last of all, Khuda ke liye - which was one of the more serious movies I have seen recently. Awesome movies, all three of them - especially the scene in Forbidden Kingdom when Jackie Chan and Jet Li fight in the temple!
( But then again, the Iron Man flying in all his glory was awesome too ;) )
Finally, results....In a manner of speaking
Well,I finally am doing my MBA - after a lot of permutations, decisions ( mostly bad ones ), statistics, data gathering..and other such boring stuff I'll be doing over the next two years, I am finally doing my MBA from one of three places, depending upon waitlist clearance.
In the end, I've managed final calls from MICA,IMT Ghaziabad,IIT Kanpur and was waitlisted at MDI ( WL-24, pretty much certain ), IIT Madras, IIT Roorkee and IIM Indore ( gah! the big fish ). So, no all I have to do is wait.I have already dropped my admits to MICA and IMTG, and will now be at one of IIM Indore, MDI Gurgaon - or IIT Kanpur depending on circumstances
P.S. Excuse the lack of even my vapid brand of humour, but this was an informational post only :D ( See, there's proof I wrote this - a smiley! :) - oops, there's another...)
In the end, I've managed final calls from MICA,IMT Ghaziabad,IIT Kanpur and was waitlisted at MDI ( WL-24, pretty much certain ), IIT Madras, IIT Roorkee and IIM Indore ( gah! the big fish ). So, no all I have to do is wait.I have already dropped my admits to MICA and IMTG, and will now be at one of IIM Indore, MDI Gurgaon - or IIT Kanpur depending on circumstances
P.S. Excuse the lack of even my vapid brand of humour, but this was an informational post only :D ( See, there's proof I wrote this - a smiley! :) - oops, there's another...)
Sunday, April 13, 2008
My Experiments with Truth Part I
Truth:
I absolutely cannot cook. I am a disaster waiting to happen whenever near the kitchen.
Situation: India- SA Test Match - India doing pretty well - instant popcorn packet :)
Proceedings:
Leave stuff in cooker . Admire your (hopeless) haircut in mirror. Goof off watching TV for a bit.
Smell burning corn. Stare in horror at kitchen door. See smoke. Smell popcorn. Go nuts.
Take cooker out. Get inspired. Bring camera :D
Result:
Scene 1,2 and 3:
I absolutely cannot cook. I am a disaster waiting to happen whenever near the kitchen.
Situation: India- SA Test Match - India doing pretty well - instant popcorn packet :)
Proceedings:
Leave stuff in cooker . Admire your (hopeless) haircut in mirror. Goof off watching TV for a bit.
Smell burning corn. Stare in horror at kitchen door. See smoke. Smell popcorn. Go nuts.
Take cooker out. Get inspired. Bring camera :D
Result:
Scene 1,2 and 3:
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Nagpur ki garmi...
Ah, my (hopefully) final assignment with my firm...a place where I have learnt a lot, both professionally and personally :) My time here at Nagpur served as a very nice way to pass time until the IIM results (hopefully) get out tomorrow; I've chased away dogs, writted dodgy emails to clients whose content even I didn't understand, and for the first time ever, stayed at one of the best hotels in town for a whole week :D
Not that everyone thinks I did the sane thing. My roomie still thinks am a blithering idiot :) ( I kind of am - but hey, he exaggerates at times ) - but the thing that is gratifying is the fact that I AM going to college this year!
Besides that, life as usual ( Orkut,cartoons,more orkut,cartoons,some facebook,gtalk,sleep,food....and putting on weight :D )
Not that everyone thinks I did the sane thing. My roomie still thinks am a blithering idiot :) ( I kind of am - but hey, he exaggerates at times ) - but the thing that is gratifying is the fact that I AM going to college this year!
Besides that, life as usual ( Orkut,cartoons,more orkut,cartoons,some facebook,gtalk,sleep,food....and putting on weight :D )
Of Results and Quotas...
And while the wait for my IIM result winds down to its last day,I am gripped....by tension and uncertainty. The Supreme Court today vacated its stay on the 27% quota for OBCs in central educational institutions. How does this affect my chances now? will the results now be delayed indefinitely? - it beings me back to the issue at hand - why reservations?
Honestly though, I feel the merit scenario is misquoted. I doubt the people who get in through reservation are any limited so far as talent goes when it comes to the courses themselves. They may have some difficulties, but not all of them will pass the course. The problems I have are two fold. Firstly, the creamy layer reservation issue. How in the name of god can it be justified? and secondly, it has a hidden effect. The competition for top institutes such as the IITs and IIMs has made the entrance exams so difficult that sometimes, the tests tend to be far more difficult than the courses themselves. Thus, the quota essentially gives the individuals who get it a bridge of opportunity into these premier institutes - but how fair is it for the government to dig a hole under the general population to make this bridge possible? And why is there no quota in Parliament?
One thing I would like to point out:
Percentile cutoff for General at IIM Indore : 98.09\
OBC : 96.XX
SC: 85.XX
ST: 75.XX
I have a bad feeling - A feeling that reservation for OBCs will mean that 96 will fall to 85 or below...is this empowerment at all?
Eventually, this must end. The Supreme Court should have refused to vacate the stay until a parallel program for grassroots level improvement of education was put into place. Well, guess that is just another thing we'll shall all have to live with.
more on the issue here :
http://www.pagalguy.com/forum/cat-and-related-discussion/30587-sc-upholds-obc-quota.html
a nice read here too:
http://gleez.com/articles/general/arjun-singhs-interview---india-of-our-dreams-deserves-a-better-hrd
Hope springs eternal though - praying for my result tomorrow! :D
P.S. Anything written here is my personal opinion.
P.P.S A smallish update! - here's what I read in the judgment - a ray of hope for folks like me!
Updated:
( This is from four judges - there were 5 judges on the bench in all )
From Justice Bhandari:
10) At what point is a student no longer
Educationally Backward and thus no longer
eligible for special provisions under 15(5)?
Once a candidate graduates from a university, the said candidate
is educationally forward and is ineligible for special benefits
under Article 15(5) of the Constitution for post graduate and any
further studies thereafter.
See para 273.
from Justices Arijit Pasayat and C.K. Thakker:
136. Thus, the interest of no person, class or region can be
higher than that of the nation. The philosophy and
pragmatism of universal excellence through equality of
opportunity for education and advancement across the nation
is part of the constitutional creed. It is, therefore, the best and
most meritorious students that must be selected for admission
to technical institutions and medical colleges and no citizen
can be regarded as outsider in the constitutional set-up
without serious detriment to the `unity and integrity' of the
nation. The Supreme Court has laid down that so far as
admissions to post graduate course such as MS, MD and the
like are concerned, it would be imminently desirable not to
provide for any reservation based on residence or institutional
preference. However, a certain percentage of seats are allowed
to be reserved on the ground of institutional preference. But
even in this regard, so far as super specialties such as
neurosurgery and cardiology are concerned there should be no
reservation at all even on the basis of institutional preference
and admissions should be granted purely on all-India basis.
Further, classification made on the basis of super-specialties
may serve the interests of the nation better, though interests
of individual states may to a small extent, be affected.
some more from the same:
Public health can be improved by
having the best of doctors, specialists and
super specialists. Under-graduate level is a
primary or basic level of education in medical
sciences wherein reservation can be
understood as the fulfilment of societal
obligation of the State towards the weaker
segments of the society. Beyond this, a
reservation is a reversion or diversion from the
performance of primary duty of the State.
it is my contention that no matter how it is interpreted, the judgment of both these judges indicates that they are against any form of societal reservation in higher learning. They are willing to accomodate preference for particular institutions which serve a niche course. But DEFINITELY not for caste-based reservation in PG courses.
However, in the CJI's judgment ( this one says 'reportable' below the judgment notice) we have:
"..it is idle to contend that the backward classes shall be
determined on the basis of their attaining education only to the
level of 10+2 stage. In India there are a large number of arts,
science and professional colleges and in the field of education, it is
anachronistic to contend that primary education or secondary
education shall be the index for fixing backward class of citizens.
We find no force in the contention advanced by the learned
Counsel for the petitioners and it is only to be rejected."
So, atleast 3 of the judges find that reservations in postgraduate studies
are not desirable - but, significantly, the CJI does not - that is to say,he does not think 10+2 is enough to remove educational backwardness - however, he does not comment on the graduate cutoff.
What does this mean? any lawyers around?
Honestly though, I feel the merit scenario is misquoted. I doubt the people who get in through reservation are any limited so far as talent goes when it comes to the courses themselves. They may have some difficulties, but not all of them will pass the course. The problems I have are two fold. Firstly, the creamy layer reservation issue. How in the name of god can it be justified? and secondly, it has a hidden effect. The competition for top institutes such as the IITs and IIMs has made the entrance exams so difficult that sometimes, the tests tend to be far more difficult than the courses themselves. Thus, the quota essentially gives the individuals who get it a bridge of opportunity into these premier institutes - but how fair is it for the government to dig a hole under the general population to make this bridge possible? And why is there no quota in Parliament?
One thing I would like to point out:
Percentile cutoff for General at IIM Indore : 98.09\
OBC : 96.XX
SC: 85.XX
ST: 75.XX
I have a bad feeling - A feeling that reservation for OBCs will mean that 96 will fall to 85 or below...is this empowerment at all?
Eventually, this must end. The Supreme Court should have refused to vacate the stay until a parallel program for grassroots level improvement of education was put into place. Well, guess that is just another thing we'll shall all have to live with.
more on the issue here :
http://www.pagalguy.com/forum/cat-and-related-discussion/30587-sc-upholds-obc-quota.html
a nice read here too:
http://gleez.com/articles/general/arjun-singhs-interview---india-of-our-dreams-deserves-a-better-hrd
Hope springs eternal though - praying for my result tomorrow! :D
P.S. Anything written here is my personal opinion.
P.P.S A smallish update! - here's what I read in the judgment - a ray of hope for folks like me!
Updated:
( This is from four judges - there were 5 judges on the bench in all )
From Justice Bhandari:
10) At what point is a student no longer
Educationally Backward and thus no longer
eligible for special provisions under 15(5)?
Once a candidate graduates from a university, the said candidate
is educationally forward and is ineligible for special benefits
under Article 15(5) of the Constitution for post graduate and any
further studies thereafter.
See para 273.
from Justices Arijit Pasayat and C.K. Thakker:
136. Thus, the interest of no person, class or region can be
higher than that of the nation. The philosophy and
pragmatism of universal excellence through equality of
opportunity for education and advancement across the nation
is part of the constitutional creed. It is, therefore, the best and
most meritorious students that must be selected for admission
to technical institutions and medical colleges and no citizen
can be regarded as outsider in the constitutional set-up
without serious detriment to the `unity and integrity' of the
nation. The Supreme Court has laid down that so far as
admissions to post graduate course such as MS, MD and the
like are concerned, it would be imminently desirable not to
provide for any reservation based on residence or institutional
preference. However, a certain percentage of seats are allowed
to be reserved on the ground of institutional preference. But
even in this regard, so far as super specialties such as
neurosurgery and cardiology are concerned there should be no
reservation at all even on the basis of institutional preference
and admissions should be granted purely on all-India basis.
Further, classification made on the basis of super-specialties
may serve the interests of the nation better, though interests
of individual states may to a small extent, be affected.
some more from the same:
Public health can be improved by
having the best of doctors, specialists and
super specialists. Under-graduate level is a
primary or basic level of education in medical
sciences wherein reservation can be
understood as the fulfilment of societal
obligation of the State towards the weaker
segments of the society. Beyond this, a
reservation is a reversion or diversion from the
performance of primary duty of the State.
it is my contention that no matter how it is interpreted, the judgment of both these judges indicates that they are against any form of societal reservation in higher learning. They are willing to accomodate preference for particular institutions which serve a niche course. But DEFINITELY not for caste-based reservation in PG courses.
However, in the CJI's judgment ( this one says 'reportable' below the judgment notice) we have:
"..it is idle to contend that the backward classes shall be
determined on the basis of their attaining education only to the
level of 10+2 stage. In India there are a large number of arts,
science and professional colleges and in the field of education, it is
anachronistic to contend that primary education or secondary
education shall be the index for fixing backward class of citizens.
We find no force in the contention advanced by the learned
Counsel for the petitioners and it is only to be rejected."
So, atleast 3 of the judges find that reservations in postgraduate studies
are not desirable - but, significantly, the CJI does not - that is to say,he does not think 10+2 is enough to remove educational backwardness - however, he does not comment on the graduate cutoff.
What does this mean? any lawyers around?
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