Effectively Utilizing Public Transport

Traffic is the cause of frustration for most of our metro city dwellers. It is the chief reason we try to get far from the maddening crowds once in a while. It is the primary reason for the shoots in our BP, smoke in our lungs, and holes in our ear drums!

One main reason for the hugely congested traffic is utilization of personal vehicles by employees to commute to their offices. We IBMers can become role models by effectively utilizing public transport and avoiding use of personal vehicles.

The advantages are:
 1. Public transport is cheaper
2. Less stressful
3. Less health risk because of noise and air pollution
4. Least risk of accident (God forbid!)
5. Petrol is an import by India and we as a nation spend hugely on oil imports. We can help reduce that!
6. We can read books, listen to music, or just chat and make friends with strangers in the bus

The government has introduced AC buses so that we can commute comfortably.

Let us IBMers do great service to ourselves, our beautiful cities, and our beloved country by availing public transport effectively!  ---------------------------------------------------------------One of my posts in IBM JAM held in February 2011, on the eve of IBM's centennial. 

Education Reforms & Inclusive Employment Policies

Most of us Indians, be they from any background, agree that our formal education system needs to be reformed. Many of us acknowledge the ill effects and disadvantages of the existing system.

1. The compulsion for rote learning and puking in the exams
2. Rigid course curriculum. No flexibility of choosing subjects once a student has opted for a particular stream.
3. Lack of exposure to real-time technologies and practices
4. No importance to soft skills
5. Only teaches how to earn a living and not how to live
6. Outdated methods of pedagogy

In spite of this widespread acknowledgment of the shortcomings, employers inexplicably insist on a certain threshold percentage to even consider a candidate fresh out of college. And some companies insist that the percentage of marks scored in X, +II, and graduation be uniform - no steep spikes or troughs! Some companies insist that there be no a gap of more than two years in education or employment.

Why do employers insist that the candidate's life be a straight line and that s/he should retain the same level of interest in our examination/marks system all through her/his education? How can the life of unfortunate/poor students follow such a straight line? Is it really possible for genuinely excellent minds to pass through the rigmarole of such dim-witted education system, without blinking an eye?

Is it because companies only look for mediocrity. We can proudly say that IBM is one company that gives more importance to experience and skills. What else can IBM do to be more inclusive in its employment policies? What can IBM do to ensure that our education system is reformed? With whom does IBM need to collaborate to achieve this end?

--------------------------------------------------------------One of my posts in IBM JAM held in February 2011, on the eve of IBM's centennial.    

Bridging the Skill Gap

In India, hundreds of thousands of graduates are coming out of professional colleges and universities. However, much to the lament of employers, only a minuscule percentage turn out to be employable. Corporates have to sieve through hundreds to find a handful of employable candidates equipped with the right skills.

This is the reason for the huge demand for the top educational institutes like IITs and the IIMs among the big corporates. India has only a handful of such world-class higher educational institutions.  Corporates offer huge packages as salaries to students of top-notch institutes.

It is a struggle for companies to find the right candidates to fill up their positions, both technical and managerial. For students of hundreds of obscure colleges, it is a hard struggle to find their first job. In their search for job, gullible students are falling prey to fraudulent consultancies and crash coaching centers and end up paying huge amounts of money as fee.

On the other hand, in second-tier cities and districts, the problem is of a different nature. Lack of proper communication skills is the main hurdle for the candidates there.

India has the best human resources potential and if corporates wish to tap it effectively, the issue of the skill gap needs to be addressed. Can the Big Blue (IBM) take the initiative of collaborating effectively with educational institutions and universities? The following reforms are needed in our higher education system:

1. What is practically relevant in real-time is taught to students and enough importance given to practice rather than theory.
2. Teaching the skills that are relevant to the industry, not some archaic theory.
3. Reform the examination system to do away the need for rote learning.
4. Make the courses more flexible. Allow students some options to choose the credits and subjects they are interested in, in a semester.
5. Introduce alternative/innovative teaching methods.
6. Effective use of e-learning
7. Teaching soft skills

If done effectively, this will be a win-win situation to students and corporates. For corporates, the increment in the number of industry-ready students coming out of colleges will result in huge savings in the form of reduced amounts spent on training candidates and headhunting.  For students, it would spare them the agony of spending money and time on crash courses offered by institutes of dubious nature.
Please share your ideas on how corporates can take the lead in bridging the skill-gap to the advantage of students and corporates in particular and the welfare of the country in general. --------------------------------------------------------------------------One of my posts in IBM JAM held in February 2011, on the eve of IBM's centennial.

Importance of Voting

India, as we know, is the largest democracy in the world. However, it was only after years of struggle that we achieved freedom from foreign occupation and became a democracy. Our freedom is the fruit of the sacrifices of generations of leaders and millions of ordinary men and women.

For people of many countries, even now democracy is a distant dream. The most populous nation on our north-east is still not one. We can see people of many countries still rising in revolt against dictatorships.

Now, because ours is a democracy, we Indians can elect our leaders. We can vote for the candidate who we think will work for us and will spend the funds for the development of our constituency, and will help make laws that will help our country progress. But are we utilizing this privilege that so people of so many nations are still dreaming for?

For many of us, especially the educated and economically well off, the day of voting is just another holiday. If on the same day, there is a cricket match being broadcast live, all of us will be hooked to the television.

As a result of the apathy of the so-called cream of the Indian society, the voting percentage does not cross 60. The politicians have become adept at garnering easy votes by dividing people across caste, religion, region and by promising mindless schemes and sops that prove costly to the exchequer. Unscrupulous politicians buy votes of the economically weaker voters. As a result, each candidate is spending Rs. 5-10 crores to win a state assembly election and multiple times of that for a parliament seat. There is now no place for honest leaders. Crooks and anti-social elements are able to find their way into the law-making houses.

Is it not a pathetic state?

We, the arm-chair intellectuals philosophize and sit at home on election days and the crooks loot our dear nation. Why can't we behave responsibly. Why can't we just go out and vote. We should remember that we have a responsibility towards voting because we understand better the capabilities of a leader and can see through their dishonesty better than our less educated and less privileged gullible brethren.

The worst affected people because of our apathy are the downtrodden lot. If crooked politicians make their way and continue to loot, they continue to wallow in poverty and ignorance. They continue to go hungry to bed every night and their children will continue to work as child laborers to earn daily bread. The status quo will be perpetuated while we enjoy our cricket match with a pack of popcorn!

The only solution to this is to go out and vote for the right leader in the elections and encourage all our friends, relatives, and acquaintances to do the same. This is the minimum that we can for our fellow, less privileged brethren.-------------------------------------------------------------One of my posts in IBM JAM held in February 2011, on the eve of IBM's centennial.

Dr. JP Meets His Orkut Friends

Orkut is a social networking site popular amongst youth in India. Youth discovered it is a great way of being connected. One can find long lost friends, stay connected with current friends, and make new friends. One can create communities of their own on any topic of their liking or join existing ones.

Many communities have been created by earnest Orkutters on political topics. The communities have become hotbeds for emerging trends in political thought amongst Indian youth. Youth discuss here wide-ranging political ideas and thoughts. Youth discuss the state of the existing political culture and the need for a change and how we can bring about the change. They discuss the pressing need to combat the menace of corruption in our governance and politics.

Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan and Lok Satta Party are popular among young Orkutters. There are more than 110 communities in Orkut dedicated to Lok Satta Party and Dr. JP. Thousands of youth are members of these communities.

They drum up support for Lok Satta Party and discuss the importance of ensuring to all equal opportunities for growth and ending any discrimination based on birth. They discuss the novel measures introduced by Lok Satta Party that stand testimonial to the party’s commitment to transparency and democracy. Many earnest, erudite youth desiring change participate in these discussions. They have been advocating the need for a New Political Culture in the cyber world.

LSP provided the virtual world Lok Satta Party activists a chance to get involved in the activities of LSP in real.

Dr. JP met his Orkut friends at the party head office at 1:30 pm on Sunday, 9th March and had an interaction with them. There was a lively discussion on the current political scenario in Andhra Pradesh. Dr. JP emphasized the need for youth to take an active part in politics. The youth expressed their support to Lok Satta Party and wished to participate in its activities.

The active members of the party then guided them on how they can get involved in the activities of LSP in their locality.

The meet concluded with the youth taking a pledge for a corruption-free, developed India.
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I organized this meet and wrote the press release.  It was a success.  Young orkutters who had Dr. JP as their Orkut friend got to meet Dr. JP in person and interact with him.  TV channels covered the meet and took some bytes from the youth.

Yuva Satta

Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive,

But to be young was very heaven

                                                            ---- said Wordsworth about the joy of being young at the dawn of one of the epoch-making moments in history that shaped world’s destiny.  We are now at the dawn of a similar moment.  And we, the young, are blessed with this opportunity to take part in and lead the movement that will shape India's destiny.

This year marks the completion of 150 years of the 1857 Revolt and 60 years of our Independence.  On this occasion, we need to spare a moment to look back at 60 years of our self-rule.  We need to identify and correct the mistakes committed.

It is true that we have achieved tremendous progress in many fields, but many are left as bystanders of the moving procession called Developing India.  There is darkness cast over the lives of many.  Opportunities for growth are not available equally.  Education, the only means of progress for the poor, is increasingly getting out of their reach.  The cancer of corruption in politics and bureaucracy is snuffing out the little that is intended for the relief and uplift of the poor.

We need a polity that aims to ensure a life of dignity for everyone.  We need an administrative machinery that is corruption-free, accountable, transparent, and efficient to smoothly turn any noble intentions into tangible reality.

We need to wage a Second Freedom Struggle.  While our forefathers had only foreign rule to fight against, we have many demons to vanquish to achieve an India of our dreams.  It is time we rise out of our own individualistic concerns and contribute our mite to a larger cause.  We, the young, need to respond to this clarion call.

Yuva Satta is conducting this campaign to identify talent in youth and provide them a platform to showcase their skills/talents.  We will guide you on how to utilize your skills to realize your vision for a better Hyderabad and India.

The future is ours, of the youth.

Youth can lead!

You can lead!

Wake up the leader in you.  Let us change Hyderabad.  Let us change India!

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This was a pamphlet I wrote for Yuva Satta in the year 2007, that marked 60 years of Indian Independence.  It was initial days for Yuva Satta as well.  We distributed the pamphlets when we visited colleges and such other occasions when Yuva Satta volunteers chanced upon meeting youth in groups.  I thought it turned out well, though it might have gone straight over the heads of people and youth in particular.....:)

Lok Satta Party - FAQs

In October 2006, I translated a booklet written by Dr. JP from Telugu to English.  It consisted of the most common questions that people may ask about Lok Satta Party.  The translation was posted as FAQs on the Lok Satta Party website: 

https://loksatta.org/how-party-different

Education for the Underprivileged - A Holistic Approach

The fact that education of the underprivileged is a critical requisite to bring about social change in India has been recognized by many individuals and organizations who want to bring about social reform. Individuals, either single or in groups, and non-governmental organizations have begun working in their own small way to achieve this objective.

They deserve all the accolades for their work in this endeavor, but what is disconcerting is that it does not look like they realize the enormity of the problem.  They are mostly working on an ad hoc basis and do not seem to have the vision to attain a wider reach.  They mostly concentrate their work on being conduits between the magnanimous donors and a small number of needy children.  Fundraising and fund disbursal is the main thing they are involved in if not the only thing.

The donors are almost always the foreign-settled educated Indians with middle class backgrounds.  With their newfound financial stability and success, they can afford to be magnanimous.  They are thankful to India which gave them the education that they have capitalized on and want to give something back.  Also, they derive a sense of satisfaction, of playing part in a worthy social cause.  The organizations back home act as effective channels in making good use of the money they provide.  In a small way, it is wonderful

work being done.

But is it enough given the enormity of the problem?  Is it enough if the organizations inform and enlighten just the potential donors, at home or in foreign lands, of the needy and their needs?  Should not efforts need to be made to make the problem of education part of the consciousness of people across all sections of the society?  Education is increasingly getting out of reach for a substantial percentage of the population.  It is not only the destitute children who are out of the loop.  What efforts are being made to reverse the process?  Do the children need to depend on the philanthropy of good-natured individuals for what is their fundamental right?  What the State, which holds the responsibility, has been doing?  Are the organizations making efforts to involve the State or at least remind it of its responsibility?

In our society, education of children is seen as a family issue.  And the less said the better about the children without proper families or no families.  But the social cost of lives gone wrong would have to be borne by the entire society.  It is not a sin to be selfish, but it is simply cruel to be indifferent.  The fortunate few should be made aware that they share a responsibility.  It is the duty of the organizations to sensitize people about the problem.  Also, the underprivileged should be made aware of the importance of education and its role in making them escape the cycle of poverty.  It is not just the donors, but the society as a whole that should be made aware that the problem exists. 

Making people understand that they have a responsibility too is the job half done.  The people, aware of their responsibility, can bring positive pressure upon the government.  It goes a long way in realizing the ultimate objective, of making the State accept and fulfill its responsibility of providing every child free and equal education in spite of its social and economic background.

Is it not a wonder that such an important social issue has never been a significant poll issue in our six-decade-long democracy?  Have we allowed the definition of democracy to be crystallized into the vote-politics-leaders prototype?  Is the State responsible only to maintain the status quo?  Is protecting and enhancing the wealth of the privileged the only function of the government?  Have people come to accept that the only result of the five-year periodic change of guard is a change of players?

The existing conditions continue as long as education, the only means of the poor to become upwardly mobile, continues to remain a privilege of the rich.  It is not just education, but childhood that is the responsibility of the State.  By providing free and equal education, the State helps the child overcome its disadvantages of birth.  It will make irrelevant the differences of class, caste, and creed.

The non-governmental organizations and committed individuals should take a holistic approach in trying to solve a problem of this dimension.  A concerted effort to involve the public should be made.  A parallel can here be drawn to what Gandhiji had done to the Congress.  Gandhiji transformed the Indian National Congress from a drawing room discussion forum of the upper middle class into a mass organization.  The power capable of change lies always with the masses and the masses alone.

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This article was written in 2005 when my belief that change is possible only through political action was growing.  It also marks the beginning of me losing faith in bringing change solely through NGO action.  I started searching for avenues to be politically active.  This article stresses the need to make the cause of accessible education a political issue rather than trying to mitigate a very minute part of the problem by NGO action alone.  It stresses the need for NGOs and individuals to make efforts to remind the public that accessible education is the duty of the society as a whole, which automatically becomes the duty of the government.  One can see that I unwittingly used the language of LSP ..........."the only result of the five-year periodic change of guard is a change of players."  Any wonder that I jumped up and joined Lok Satta Party as soon as Dr. JP announced the party in 2006?

The Importance of Being Nose

Have you ever realized that without your senses, the world would not exist for you? Unless you realize that, you would not be able to appreciate the importance of Nose, the sense organ that is in-charge of our faculty of smell.

Apart from its ability to smell, Nose is important for many other reasons too.  Nose helps us keep alive. Duh!! We breathe in air to absorb oxygen and exhale through nose.

Though the above two functions of Nose are enough to accord it a celebrity status, they are often taken for granted.  Instead of its life-sustaining and sensory functions, people are more concerned about the aesthetic value that Nose imparts to their face.  This is because Nose is perhaps the most striking feature of a human face.  It is so strategically situated in the face that it almost always determines whether you look good, bad, or ugly. 

However, if  God was unfair to you while making you, you need not wait for your next incarnation to get a  better nose.  Through plastic surgery, you can get the nose of the size and shape of your liking.  Given a chance, many  are open to the idea of tinkering with their nose. However, as always, too much is too bad. Michael Jackson, the King of pop, had his nose tinkered with so many times that the gentleman now has to hold  his nose  tight before every cough or sneeze.

Nose, as a prominent facial feature, often defines one's look and indicates one's outlook and attitude.  It is said that after a certain age you are responsible for your face.  But if you were born with a silly-looking nose, no matter how much wisdom you accumulate inside your head or how hard you work out, you would look silly throughout your miserable life.

If all the above is not enough to give Nose its due importance, just imagine the difficulties Benjamin Franklin, the statesman, printer, scientist and what not, of the 18th century America, would have been through to design the bifocal lens, if the Nose were not located in its customary position!

It is often the short nosed people that feel short changed about their nose. However, they have one advantage that nullifies whatever perceived disadvantages there might be.  Only they can enjoy a real close kiss!

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This won me a prize in an essay-writing competition. The topic was given on the spot and we were given 30 minutes to write. I won it "hands down" according to the compere at the prize distribution ceremony.

Greenpeace

A typical Hyderabadi early December evening it was --- pleasant, cool and bindaas.  The traffic my brother was negotiating was also not out of the ordinary.  Pillion riding, I was enjoying the cool breeze from over the Hussein Sager lake.  Catching the Buddha in his evening glory is a privilege, but I was surprised to see the usually placid Buddha in a cheerful and a particularly beneficent mood.  Observing keenly, he was showering all his blessings on something that was closer to his own ideals.

I could not help but turn to the other side to see what made the 'nirvikara' Buddha so happy.  I saw, exactly facing the Buddha, at the poetess Molla's statue, a small gathering.  On either side of it was a long stretch of colourful banners and placards.  The general mood in the gathering was solemn but there was a streak of anguish running through.  We stopped our vehicle and were guided to the parking lot by a volunteer.

I came to know from him that it was being organized by Greenpeace, the international environmental organization.  They were commemorating the 20th anniversary of the world's worst ever industrial disaster --- “The Bhopal Gas Tragedy,” that happened at five past midnight, 2-3 December, 1984.  I began reading the banners which were improvised from old sarees and painted by amateur painters.  They reflected what Greenpeace stands and fights for.  Some demanded proper justice to the Bhopal victims, some warned against the hazards of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO), while some advocated the use of renewable energy sources.

As I was ambling through the pavement, one of the banners screamed for my attention saying “Patancheru:  Bhopal in slow motion.”  I was horrified when a volunteer informed me that there are 24 toxic hotspots in India and an incident like Bhopal may happen anywhere amongst them.  Closer home, we have the highly industrialized Patancheru area where the pharmaceutical industries have been releasing their toxic effluents into the nearby lakes, polluting them.  The contamination is seeping into the nearby farmlands and the farmers are unable to raise any crops.  Other industrial areas around Hyderabad like Jeedimetla and IDA Bollaram are not lagging far behind.  I understood that Bhopal is not a remote issue and that everyone has a stake in saving the environment.

Darkness started setting in and I was handed a candle by a volunteer.  The “candle light vigil” was to show our solidarity to the Bhopal victims.  More people were streaming in to join us with their own candles.  I was pleasantly surprised to see the organiser of Blue Cross Society, Amala Akkineni, solemnly paying her homage.  All through the event, the ideals of Greenpeace were adhered to.  Any waste created was guided into the 'Greenbins' brought in and to be cleared away by Greenpeace volunteers.  The traffic was in no way disturbed and some volunteers were seen minding it.

A bearded man, whom I came to know as the toxic campaigner of Greenpeace in Hyderabad, Mr. Bidhan Chandra Singh, was addressing a gathering.  The villagers of Patancheru then shared their sorrow.  Mr. Bidhan surprised me with his singing ability.

Jhadu maro jhadu maro,

DOW ko jhadu maro

cried he and we all sang in chorus with an accompaniment of various musical instruments.  I was overwhelmed with joy when he sang with perfect diction, our own Telugu folk song 'adavi talliki dandalo………….'.

An enlightening and enriching evening it was.  As we prepared to leave, I saw a volunteer holding a white board.  One by one, people were scribbling their thoughts on it as a photographer took shots to pass them on to the web.  I impetuously wrote “Greenpeace, I am with you'.”

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I was volunteering for this effort of Greenpeace to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Bhopal Gas tragedy.  I was delighted to catch a glimpse of Amala Akkineni.  I translated the press release into Telugu.  I wrote this account from an outsider's point of view and sent it to Deccan Chronicle's college page.  It got a response from them asking for more details, but even after supplying them those details, it was not published the next week, much to my disappointment.

I am now skeptical about Green Peace and their nefarious agenda and designs.  However, I cherish this experience.

Funny, My Dog

He was a little more than a pup when father brought him home two years ago.  He was a very amiable young dog who would curiously pursue insects and delighted in chasing away birds in our garden.

I am no expert to tell his pedigree. A strange-looking fellow, he is strongly built, short in stature, has light brown fur covering his body and has a pair of drooping ears.  As an additional qualification, he is lame in his left forepaw. That, of course, is no handicap as he is as swift as any dog can be. In fact, this supposed handicap adds a swagger to his gait. Perhaps he is one of his kind.  But seeing him first, I could not help but call him "Funny".

Now, at the prime of his youth, Funny is indisputably the handsommest dog in the street.  He is so successful with the females of his kind that I can only dream of to be with that of mine.  The little rascal grew up before my eyes, but sadly will grow old too.

Funny badly needs some discipline.  He does not like being leashed and loves running after father's bike.  He spoils our cricket, catching hold of the ball with his teeth and running away.  Perhaps a training stint would do him some good.  However, the trainer would surely need a couple of sniffer dogs to be set in trail of Funny when he does any mischief or plays truant!

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I  remember writing this as a pet story to be sent to Amala Akkineni, for publishing in Deccan Chronicle.