Ethical Practices and Corruption

Posted on October 25, 2011 by indra

How can a person or a group of activists fight against the enormous resources of the government? Particularly, Congress, with few unscrupulous lawyers, some sycophants as its leaders and some media persons with vested interests to support, is creating a chaos or confusion for the citizens of India. Particularly, the news about the Kiran Bedi’s way of making money for some institutions that he nourishes has been over blown for the same reason. None in the Congress party including its head relished Anna’s movement against corruption and its mass appeal. Whatever is getting into media are the stories of the vendetta of varying type.

I am sure Anna never selected all in so called team following any criteria or according to a clear cut mission document. I was myself surprised when I saw Agnivesh and Medha Patkar in that. Naturally, the difference of opinions of Prashant Bhusan and Santosh Hegde who are renowned persons in judiciary system is because of their own personality and status.

But should a century old party that was once led by legendary persons who won for the country its freedom adopt the mean methods to be in power? Will it save it for long?

Let us come back to Kiran Bedi’s air ticket billing and Kejriwal’s bond for study leave. I knew a senior executive of a private company who was officially allowed to travel by air in first class. He traveled regularly by economy class. The travel agent paid him the balance. Years ago, for the business trip abroad, the executives used to get lump sum daily allowances in dollars based on position. They used to save through various means and buy goods for the family members at home or took off for some more days for holidaying. I know also some who collected the money this way and financed the education of his son abroad. How many in public and private companies bill for the actual expenses against their annual travel facilities or medical bills? Those, who do that, claim it as perks and as compensation for the hard work they do for their organizations. Were or are they all corrupt? What should be the punishment for MPs or ministers who keep outsiders on rent in their government provided huge residential complexes?

Will the reporter of Indian Express look into these practices in its own group, find out and report if its senior executives don’t follow these means to save? How much that the reporter himself charges from the media that is not genuine?

Kiran Bedi, under attack over charging her hosts business class for economy class travel offered to return the excess money collected. She would not have done that. The subject requires debate. It also requires that every organization puts in place a clear design of system where if these practices are considered wrong, one just can’t do it.

And now something on Kejriwal’s issue. I myself signed an agreement for serving 7 years in my first company. I was to undergo training for two years. It just ensured me a fixed increment for those years. It was a totally one sided agreement to create a fear in the employee to remain in the company. Many had signed the agreement. Later on many left. The company couldn’t win a single case. I am sure Kejriwal’s bond must be a similar one. If he served for the stipulated period after the training, none can hold him back under any law and perhaps the human right.

And why didn’t the government or the reporter in question came out with these revelations for so many years?

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US and India: Expectations of Mutual Respect

Posted on October 23, 2011 by indra

US is certainly not the same that used to be in years ago, neither is India. While US economy is badly on decline with its middle class in trouble and all the jobs disappearing fast. It has maximum number of the Nobel laureates, but that hardly provide any solace. Media provide a glimpse of American worries and so do the residents. Solutions are known but the possibility of its execution is bleak. Many a times, the democracy is considered as cause as well as curse. India, by default (?) is an emerging power, a big market, and has a great history of diversity and tolerance.

I was here in the months when US was excited about Obama getting elected as its President. This time here I find the euphoria dead. What the Americans think is totally different considering what the American administration does.

It was just a chance that I came across the wonderful article of Fareed Zakaria, How to Restore the American Dream in ‘Time‘, Oct. 21, 2010. I have been reading ‘America Needs Jobs‘ series in ‘Huffington Post’ too, as that is what perhaps India needs too. And so come my viewpoints here.

I find the problems and solutions for both US and India similar. Both suffer from a government system that provides no hope. But the private sectors and people can also be saviours. Both must shun the total dependence on China for everything that a household needs. Both must have a special thrust on manufacturing. Nano of India could have flooded the global market and India would have taken a lead at least with its one product. US car manufacturers still can quench the thrust of car crazy Americans. Both could have created or recreated a moral boost to its manufacturing sector. But it is still to happen. I don’t know if it will happen at all. Americans are almost hindered percent dependent on the Chinese for its wares as I see in every store that I visit. India too is unfortunately heading towards that fast. Many a times I wonder who is doing a better job for US-Mr. Mr. Obama or the Iranian gentleman who left Nokia and opened the popular food outlet in the nearest mall from our residence and has employed a number of Americans.

Even Zakaria is shore about the denial/delay mode of the American visas to the brilliant bests from different countries of the world graduating from the best professional colleges in the country causing a clear reverse brain drain. I wonder if US would love to retain people like Zakaria or wish them to leave for creating jobs for Americans. Should a country that pioneered globalization think in that narrow manner instead of focusing on finding out the real solutions to providing best education and skill to its students and creating the right kind of jobs in million for them? I don’t think the subject is in the priority list of Obama, though thousands of highly US educated persons of foreign origins are living an uncertain future with their American dreams.

Interestingly, as reported, Indian firms are investing almost as much here in the US as their American counterparts are in India. Prominent Indians, such as Ratan Tata, Anand Mahindra, Narayan Murthy, and Nandan Nilekani are donating huge funds to the American universities. India keeps American high tech manufacturing sector busy with its billions of dollars worth of orders. American business still shows more interest in China and American governments in Pakistan. I was surprised to know that US still has problems in exporting the equipment, even machine tools with dual use technology to India. Can Obama and his visit bring a change and make the Indians feel more comfortable with America? Many don’t expect much.

It would have been better if India and Indians stop expecting and focus on building its own strength in manufacturing sectors and R&D as China did. I wish Americans and particularly, its government could understand India and Indians better and treat them with respect. How can one go on expecting American authority humiliating Indian dignitaries under the excuse of security or doubting the visits of Indian experts in US with question marks?

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Corruption Cases:Mercenary Media’s Wrong Priorities

Posted on October 22, 2011 by indra

‘Indian Express’ doesn’t agree with Kiran Bedi’s explanation about the air bill that must be in thousands only. Unfortunately, the same newspaper dare not publish some real investigative piece on the day-light and outright loot of the biggest state of the country by its ruler that must be running into hundreds of thousands crores rupees annually. As per one estimate, every day’s collection is somewhere near one thousand crores through the state machinery that is dedicatedly working for only this sole purpose. Just Noida and Yamuna Expressway would have contributed more than few lakh crores to the kitty.

I came out after a long time to go up to PVR, Spice in sector 32 of Noida for a movie last week. For all these years, I didn’t see much activity in the sector. A mall building had come up in one corner but it was occupied by some offices. Amar Singh during Mulayam era had laid foundation for the administrative office complex of Noida Authority, but it never came up and as I heard it was shifted to another location. In news papers I had seen ad with master plan for developing the area as a Connaught Place of Noida. At the extreme end, only colourful building of Adobe Inc. USA came up. For a long time I thought that was a hotel.

I was surprised and shocked to see the whole of the land of one full sector meant to be for a city centre getting boundary wall all over starting from the last stop of metro to the stadium. A journalist friend informs that the whole land has been awarded to just one builder for Rs 6500 crores. And can one guess what the builder will do in the sector? To my query against an ad, one agent quoted Rs 68 lakh for a studio flat of 805 square feet in one of the skyscrapers coming up on the land. How much money in cash would have gone to the M-Fund?

In the Noida extension land deal that was very much in media, the builders had to pay Rs 6000 per square metre to M-fund. It was still profitable as Noida Authority charged only Rs 6000 per sq mtr when they could sell the same for a fabulous amount to the customers.

As one lead media man writes, ‘Mayawati has emerged as the great dictator of Uttar Pradesh, someone who controls India’s most populous state with an iron fist.’ None dares to raise any voice against her decision on her pet projects, be it the monument of Rs 685 crore in Noida or of multiple of that amount in Lucknow. Why are only just few builders getting all the properties or big projects, be it Noida-Greater Noida Expressway, Yamuna expressway, or India’s F1 race track? Some say, ‘now it is not a commission, it’s decided on major share offered in the business for the icon of the dalit.’

Why doesn’t the judiciary or the crusaders of RTI speak out and act? And where will all the wealth accumulated in this manner be used? I would not have bothered if it would have gone to uplift the aam dalit of the state, if the money would have ensured a good dwelling for all dalit families or provided special coaching for the 100% of the dalit students specially girl students or on their healthcare. Unfortunately the whole of the wealth getting collected is for an individual. No one knows how will the person use it? Will it be for winning the general election by paying each and every voter with a lakh of rupees each?

It is unfortunate that neither the opposition parties nor corruption crusaders such as Kejriwal, Ramdev or Anna talk about this open corruption and accumulation of black money with any precedent like it. Media has gone mercenary. It will keep quiet for a cost.

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Job Openings in Plenty, But No Takers

Posted on October 20, 2011 by indra

Many a times I doubt if the government really wishes to create jobs. Is it sincere about its skill training programme? Should it follow the text book solution for every problem facing the nation? Can’t the unemployed youth be trained through some innovative but practical routes?

As per a recent news report, about 15% of the transport fleet in the country with strength of 8, 00,000 is inoperative, because of shortage of drivers. Every truck requires at least two drivers or perhaps three. A driver is needed also for three-wheelers as well as for a large number of cars too. Can’t the country even train drivers who don’t necessarily require being very much educated?

As reported, India is the largest manufacturer of three-wheelers (444,000 in 2009-10) and the eighth largest commercial vehicle (0.53 m in 2009-10). India, the largest tractor manufacturing country (around 1/3 of global output) added around 370,000 units in 2009-10. All these vehicles require drivers. The owners of the luxury cars certainly employ drivers. As estimated, even one third of the car owners need drivers. Thus India may be requiring more than a million trained drivers every year. And all these may get a remuneration of much more than the BPL limit. Where are the trained drivers to fill up the vacancies getting created every day? Who trains them? Why don’t Mayawati or Nitish Kumar ask the unemployed youth in their states to get themselves trained as drivers and get employed instead of seeking a job of orderly or bearer in the government offices?

I do doubt if the Corporate India is taking any initiative to provide this service for its customers by training sufficient number of drivers as well as the people who are to maintain it. I am sure they could have done that easily. Think of the total number of dealers of auto manufacturers in the country and many other independent maintenance shops. The manufacturers can easily use their services to train drivers and maintenance men for repairing the vehicles. And the service providers could have added the facilities for training without much investment and increased their earning by charging the required fee.

Similar steps by the manufacturers of other products of mass use can train many more unemployed young men of the country. Infrastructure and construction companies can certainly get together for this cause to train the young men required for the sector. It surprises me to know that in a nation with population of more than 1 billion we do not have sufficient plumbers, masons, carpenters or electricians.

With a lot of thrust on infrastructure such as road, power, construction, the requirements are bound to keep on increasing.

I wish the CII, Assocham and other small entrepreneurs take initiative on large scale. Adding skill will never go waste. One day, pretty soon, every Indian must need to know driving, if India keeps its thrust on GDP growth.

Will government find some logic behind the issue raised here and do something to solve the acute shortage of the skilled manpower?

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India and US: Business of Education

Posted on October 18, 2011 by indra

More than a hundred thousand students took admission in US universities last year. It was certainly not only because they all didn’t get admission in good colleges in India. Few might have got a good scholarship too. But the majority of them would be paying the cost themselves. Either their family would bear it or in some cases they might get financed by some banks. I wish the majority of them would have joined good universities that certainly provide better education.

Why couldn’t the corporate India that all the time keep on complaining about the quality of graduates coming out of Indian educational institutes establish some world class universities seeking collaborations with the best in the field worldwide as they do in their core business? Perhaps the main reason was the government policy. However, there are some exceptions. I remember one at least and that is BITS, Pilani.

As it seems, the government may come out with some reform and allow the collaborations and business with profit in education sector too. Recent Indo-US summit for cooperation in higher education may pave the way. It was interesting to read a speech of Hillary Clinton in the conference.

“Last year, we welcomed over 100,000 students from India to pursue college or graduate-level study here. But we think the opportunities for collaboration are even greater. And, particularly, we want to see more American students enrolling for academic credit at Indian institutions.”

When the world class facilities in a pretty good number of the hospitals in India established by the private sectors can attract so many of foreigners for treatment in India, why can’t a similar facilities in higher educational institutes attract a large number of students from the developed countries? And that will be a win-win situation. Corporate India must go all out to establish the best educational institutes in specific fields and the government must support it removing all the business hurdles. The students coming in and going out are the best ambassadors of the country. It will certainly make the world a better place.

I was really impressed by the story that Hillary Clinton narrated in course of the speech:

“A few years ago, a small group of American and Indian classmates at Stanford University decided to work together to build a better baby incubator. Four hundred and fifty premature and low-weight babies die every hour, and traditional baby incubators can cost as much as $20,000. So, the students developed the Embrace baby warmer, a portable incubator for use in poor and rural areas that doesn’t require electricity and only costs around $100. After graduating from Stanford, this Indian and American team moved to Bangalore to continue working on their idea and launched their project. And, it’s now in use in hospitals in India and saving babies’ lives. Their goal is to save 100,000 babies by 2013.”

I wish there could be hundreds and thousands of such projects and collaborations among the young men and women of the world.

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IITs- Halo or Reality

Posted on October 16, 2011 by indra

My eyesight has gone bad but I get pleasure in reading. I am going through the latest book of Thomas Friedman who writing gives me pleasure. I am growing weak, though I can walk steadily and quite a distance, so is my plan to visit Hampi and thereafter Aurangabad for Ajanta and Ellora and then Bhopal for Sanchi.

But I get morose where I find my young men failing us. I felt bad about the rise of so called nationalist miscreants and that also with the name of Rama in it. How can a follower of Rama think of attacking a senior advocate? I don’t like this intolerance in young men and those who come out with excuses. Can the young men in China go for such cowardice act and get a bail?

How can a government play with education ministry? Can’t it find another full time minister if Kapil Sibal is required to save the government from telecom mess?

The people get enraged when IITs are criticized. But then IITs must keep its image intact and performance up to the desired level.
I am giving just one instance of the standing of IITs in technology. Look at the list of the 2011 top twelve teams that received medals in International Collegiate Programming Contest that is given below and judge yourself. Where are our IITs or other universities and institution teaching computing to their million of students? And then also many keep on claiming India as IT super power.

• Zhejiang University, (GOLD, WORLD CHAMPION, CHINA)
• University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, (GOLD, 2nd Place, USA)
• Tsinghua University, (GOLD, 3rd Place, CHINA)
• St. Petersburg State University, (GOLD, 4th Place, RUSSIA)
• Nizhny Novgorod State University, (SILVER, 5th Place, RUSSIA )
• Saratov State University, (SILVER, 6th Place, RUSSIA)
• Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, (SILVER, 7th Place, GERMANY)
• Donetsk National University, (SILVER, 8th Place, UKRAINE)
• Jagiellonian University in Krakow, (BRONZE, 9th Place, POLAND)
• Moscow State University, (BRONZE, 10th Place, RUSSIA)
• Ural State University, (BRONZE, 11th Place, RUSSIA)
• University of Waterloo, (BRONZE, 12th Place, CANADA)

It’s not only that Chinese are performing great, see the number of teams from Russia and other communist countries in the list.
While out young men are busy bullying old intellectuals fearlessly, the young men in other countries are busy in doing something to make the country proud. And over the years, the nation has gone down its value preference. How can one expect anything great from the IITians when they after wasting the nation’s money in training themselves as pure technocrats prefer to join the rank of unscrupulous banks and financial institutes and prefer to join administrative services including police services just for money?
If the government doesn’t build right values through the education system, if the parents are busy in making money from anyway right or wrong, how can we expect India to be a knowledge society?

This government keeps on claiming tall about its growth rate after reform. The fact is totally different. ‘China grew faster in the last nine years than India is likely to grow over the next nine.’

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Labour or Mob Law: Scaring Situations

Posted on October 15, 2011 by indra

It’s not only the corruption but some other recent developments are equally scary. The government is so busy in managing the corruption in apex court and outside with all its resources that the governance is at stand still. Many important positions of secretaries and heads of PSUs are waiting to be filled. Many thermal plants will soon stop generating electricity because of shortage of coal.

The plant of Maruti Suzuki at Manesar in Haryana is under cease. The workers have occupied the factory premises and are resorting to violence and causing the damage of assets. The workmen are defying the High Court order that directed the striking workers to vacate factory premises and asked the police to provide the agitating workers with a place to lodge their protests and ensure that workers who wanted to work in the Manesar unit was not attacked by those on strike. The rising labour trouble in automobile industry of MNCs is emanating very poor signals to the foreign investors. I am sure the Japanese now holding the major stake must be cursing their decision on to set up the plant in Manesar. Haryana chief minister is busy in campaign of a bye-election. Surprisingly the Prime Minister declares that he is working on streamlining the labour laws.

The prominent citizens have joined the activists of the country to close the commissioned Nuclear plant in Koodankulam,Tamil Nadu till all an independent body investigates and reports positively about the safety all nuclear plants in India. How can the job of technical experts be taken over by the activists and so-called prominent citizens and court? Surprisingly, China is marching ahead with its nuclear energy projects with fiercest speed. Are they fools? However, the prime minister wishes to solve the problems by writing letters to the equally arrogant chief minister and the religious heads. Sometimes I feel like doubting if the country was ready for democracy and freedom of expression at the time of independence and even after 63 years thereafter.

It is shocking that the government and administration goes in action only after some serious situation arises. Its machinery fails to be proactive.

Is it only a labour law that requires reform or the country needs a code of conduct for the citizens at large particularly for those who matter such as the new growing clan of activists and vocal intellectuals with vested interests?

As I fail to understand the law of the country. The whole country saw two days ago how a rogue young man kept on hitting and kicking brutally a frail senior advocate in or near the Supreme Court premises in present of a crew of news channel. The advocate would have been killed. But the very next day, the gang including the main culprit was granted bail. I am sure the clear possibility of death of a person is more serious than losing few crores of rupees.

Where is the hope for this great nation when every day something or the other creates shock wave in the mind of common citizens?

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Heroes Fighting on Poverty Line

Posted on October 12, 2011 by indra

I am of a view that the system- the government, politicians and bureaucrats- is busy today in devising hundred of schemes that will perpetuate poverty and incentivize people to remain below the poverty line. Since Montek Singh’s planning Commission came out with the reference line of BPL as Rs 32 (urban) and Rs 26 (rural) per person per day expenditure, the intellectuals through media are only having intense debate rather a battle on the defining amount but hardly anyone talks about integrating the multitude of poverty alleviation schemes to empower the people to cross the line.

The TV channel reporters are busy in catching the persons under BPL categories from different urban regions and are forcing them to answer questions about the family size, monthly earning, and government assistance to prove the mistakes of planning commission. The answers are almost same from all. The number of family member is five. Monthly earning is around Rs 5000. The PDS is non-existent. The reporters hardly go any further about the accommodation, sanitation facilities or schooling and healthcare. They invariably live in shanties or jhuggis with none of the facilities. In Noida, the households in the villages integrated in the township have built filthy barracks for this working population and are making money.

The Planning Commission and the Jairam Ramesh are trying to resolve the issues of defining those under BPL

I narrate here the actual story of some who are in BPL. These young Indians, from the same deprived class and with not much of formal education and assistance from anyone, are trying to improve their quality of living by working hard.

Hari got known to us when we came to our own house in sector 41 in Noida in 1997. He was the washer man. He washed our clothes and ironed them. He charged Rs 50 person per month for washing. It has gone up to Rs 200. For ironing the charge is now Rs 2 against Re 1 at that time. For the curtains, bedcovers, saris, etc, the unit charges are more. He used to start the day with washing and collecting the clothes for ironing washed on the previous day. He was not married. Over the years he got married and has now three children. He expanded his work. Today he does also clean the cars early in the morning for Rs 200 a month. The rate for the bigger cars is more. As estimated, Hari may be earning Rs 8,000-10,000 a month. He has a room in a nearby village, Morna on rent, where he lives with his family. His son goes to school. His wife is sick and frail. She hardly shares Hari’s work.

Namdev comes from another village where he has a small plot of land on lease for growing flowers. Earlier he used his cycle to distribute the flower in the morning. Now he has bought a motor cycle. We pay Rs 100 now every month. He supplies flower to 100 families. He earns about Rs 6.000-7,000 per month. But he remains sick and absents.

Sam is our newspaper vendor presently and works for main distributor Siyaram. He is from Jharkhand. He lives with his wife in someone’s kothi in Noida as caretaker. For distribution of newspapers, Sam gets Rs 1500 and from the owner of the house Rs 3000. His wife also works with two households and earns around Rs 1500. They don’t have any child As Sam is not to pay rental, he is satisfied with what he earns.

There are hundreds of Haris, Namdevs, Sams and other service providers, be it milkmen and vegetable sellers besides those working for organized ones such as Mother Dairy and Safal in each sector of Noida. Ongoing construction works in Noida keep the demand high.

Evening Bazaars almost once in every sector and permanent vendors for many items around the established markets of Noida keep many self employed engaged and employed. With thriving economy, they all make good money and try to live in better ways. This is how expanding urbanization can help any region of the country.

But I get morose when I see again some lazy young men from the nearby villages coming on every Saturday to beg in name of God Saturn. A number of times, I caught hold of some and appealed to work. With many patrons, how can they shun easy earning? Many residents keep on distributing some food items or few coins to the beggars including small kids in hope of getting the blessings of the Gods and goddesses for success in whatever they do. Many a time I appealed to the kids for going to the schools in the temple. Some have started going. I wish the rich residents of Noida do something to empower these destitute for a better life through RWAs having good cash reserves.

Sai temple is doing a wonderful job for educating the children of underprivileged in Noida. It also provides medical treatment through its dispensary. I wish the affluent residents participate in this task to improve the quality of facilities. The doctors with huge practice and the headmasters of the public schools can contribute a lot with very little change in mindset. Shouldn’t the Noidites take pride in contributing to making Noida a benchmark for other satellite towns?

Can’t the government think of empowering instead of doling through various schemes that leak mostly for enriching middlemen? I believe Jairam Ramesh’ ministry spends Rs 1 lakh crore on welfare and pro-poor programmes annually. Should not 2 lakh poor families be given Rs 50 lakhs each in cash and brought over BPL instead of losing the amount in the hands of persons with vested interest?

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Life of Steve Jobs, Some Lessons

Posted on October 7, 2011 by indra

I never expected that on a day after Vijya Dasami, all the national newspapers, Hindustan Times, Indian Express or Times of India including the pink ones such as Financial Express or Economic Times in the editions from all metros will have so much of coverage of Steve Jobs and his life. I consider it as great success of globalization. I wish the local language newspapers would have also covered Steve in the similar manner. People reading the language papers are many more and would have been benefited. Unfortunately, as much as I know, the language journalists hardly keep themselves updated on any topics other than local politics.

I am really indebted to the media for providing me and millions with so much of inspiring information about Steve Jobs (Images), the great designer, and visionary business leader.

Steve proved that a genius does neither need a great parentage nor great education career. Steve’s thrust on the excellence of design and technology also proved that the academic preference of the Indian youths, even engineers from IITs and other great technological institutes, for management courses is not desirable. Steve proved that a great product is a great business too.

I got surprised to know that Steve in his very early life had learnt about India’s gurus while in US. I don’t still know how he got the idea of coming to India in search of such a miracle man. Fortunately, he didn’t get one.

B. S. Raghavan’s article in Businessline of Hindu Group- ‘When will India have its own Jobs?’ made me feel like thinking and writing on the subject. Raghavan asks, ‘When will India have its own SteveJobs? Or Gates Or Larry Page, and Sergey Brin?’

Indian top management doesn’t encourage talent, can’t tolerate rational dissent and doesn’t appreciate the failures. It will take many years for Indians to appreciate Ramanujam and many like him who are there or have already got vanquished and vanished or gone away.

Right at this moment I know a boy who is class XII and has very good practical knowledge in computer and its working. But none even after knowing his strength will like to see him pursue that in right manner, or the educational system will accommodate a person like him. Everyone keeps telling him to score high marks in his school examinations that includes Hindi, English or some other subject. Why can’t the school system allow a student to select one subject of the student’s interest and facilitate him to know the most about the subject and be judged on basis of his performance in that subject?

The government as usual hardly bothers. Why should an IITian without at least a five years experience in industry be allowed to pursue management courses and that too in financial subjects in IIMs? Why should the industry be paying so high to the management students? Instead why is the industry not collaborating with the institutes of technology and engineering to make the course relevant to its requirement? Why can’t the industry pay significantly more to a good M.Tech and Ph.D than what it does today?

Going back to the schools, why should the state level education put the life histories of politicians instead of Ambani, Raman, or Khorana and Chandrasekhar in the text books?

The government and the intellectuals even with little concern about the future generation must see how the major mass of the population starts talking and discussing many other essentials subjects of concerns for the country instead of politics.

But let me go with Raghavan who concludes his article with some hope for India. “Electronics Association of the US recently asked in a survey where the next Bill Gates will come from; 40 per cent of Americans predicted that he would be from either India or China. Amen (despite being bracketed with China)!” One would see a flicker of that hope in the India’s first tablet that was launched almost on the day Steve Jobs left this world.

So we can still hope for a Steve Jobs from India.
================
PS:
Steve Jobs:The Beginning, 1955-1985
Steve Jobs: The Wilderness, 1985-1997
Steve Jobs: The Return, 1997-2011
Eric Schmidt on Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs Departs a World He Helped Transform
Steve Jobs, The magician

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Narayana Murthy vs. Chetan Bhagat

Posted on October 5, 2011 by indra

For a long time, I have been writing about the ill-effect of coaching industry that prepares the aspirants for IITs. For all practical purposes and unfortunately too, the coaching mafia has taken over the business of education. It’s not the old tuition system on one to one basis. Coaching in class room ambience has made education a business of passing the tests and examinations instead of learning. It’s parallel rather the predominant sector where the parents are pouring in the money. The traditional schooling has become secondary. And the coaching institutes adopt many stinking means to attract students and make more money.

However, my thrust had been on IIT. I still feel that the individuals or administrative agencies in IITs responsible for the entrance examination are colluding with the coaching industry to make it a necessity and to grow. IITs have not tried to make the commercial coaching redundant. And that is certainly possible with proper question papers. If in our days in IIT, we couldn’t answer questions set for open book examination of physics where we were allowed to a carry all books, why is that the similar question papers can’t be used for entrance examination? Many times I feel that IITians themselves and even some teachers are behind the flourishing of the coaching industry. Some owners of these coaching centres are IITians.

But today I am writing for a different reason on the same subject. I didn’t like the comment of Chetan Bhagat on the views of NR Narayana Murthy, which was similar to my own. It was against all norms of Indian culture. I don’t know if Narayana Murthy would have got hurt or not, but I got shocked and hurt too. Chetan might have attained certain celebrity level through his writings, but his making of a sweeping remark on Narayana Murthy’s contribution to Indian IT sector was certainly not on expected line. (“It is ironic when someone who runs a body shopping company and calls it hi-tech, makes sweeping comments on the quality of IIT students.”) Narayana Murthy has become a benchmark of entrepreneurship in tech industry. He went for something that none did before him. Chetan must not underrate his contribution. I don’t think he is qualified enough to do that. If he considers himself someone high enough to pass judgment on any one, I just pity him. I think Chetan owes an apology to Narayana Murthy.

I myself and many believe that the quality of the students entering in and passing out has deteriorated. Reasons are many. While for the entering flux coaching is certainly responsible, for the outgoing lot the teachers and the administration must own responsibility. No excuse is good enough. Most of the teachers are hardly interested to know what’s going on in the industry. How can they make the students ready to accept the challenges in industry without that knowledge and networking with qualified executives and managers in the industry? Directors and teachers once selected in educational institutes such as IITs will have to set very high benchmark for themselves full with many sacrifices.

PS: As reported, Chetan has apologized.

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