Life @ Backwaters

You Never Walk Alone

2007-05-09T21:29:16Z

When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark.
At the end of the Storm there's a golden sky
And the sweet, silver song of a lark.
Walk on through the wind, walk on through the rain,
Though your dreams be tossed and blown.
Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart,
And you'll never walk alone.
You'll never walk alone....

Liverpool is gonna kick AC Milan's butt in the final....

Reservations - The BIG ISSUE

2006-04-09T12:33:05Z

The Fact Sheet:

"A new policy, if implemented, will take the overall reservation in central government-funded higher education institutions to 49.5% from the current 22.5% for SC and ST students.

The government's move follows the passage of the 104^th amendment to the constitution which enables the Centre to hike up to 27% reservation, and states according to their needs. The Centre has already directed state governments to increase reservation for backward categories at state-level institutions.

Mr. Arjun Singh had already written to states to frame laws in the light of the 104th Constitution Amendment, passed in the winter session of the Parliament, which gives them the right to take steps that would ensure advancement of socially and educationally-backward classes, SCs and STs in private educational institutions as well."

Economic Times: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1480802.cms

Premier Institutes that come under the new proposed Act.

All IIM's

All IIT's

JNU

Delhi Univ

All India Institute of Medical Sciences

PGI (Chandigarh)

Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (Pondicherry)
Christian Medical College (Vellore)

National Institute of Fashion Technology

Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (Delhi)

National Law School (Bangalore)

All Institutes of Hotel Management

Any place worth its salt will be a victim of this new act.

Some background: 104^th Amendment to the Constitution

An Act providing reservations for the socially and educationally backward classes, besides the Scheduled Classes and Scheduled Tribes, in all private aided and unaided educational institutions.

The amendment was the government's attempt to offset the effect of the recent Supreme Court judgment that categorically said that in an unaided (which runs without government funding) educational institution -- whether run by non-minorities or minorities -- the government cannot implement its policy of reservation

One of the few smart decisions by the Supreme court and the government had to make some unnecessary changes!!!

What I really feel:

India is a country with its own peculiar set of problems. We have people from different income groups and different sections of society wanting to be part of a better education system. Some of us have spent thousands of rupees on private tuitions in order to get into premier institutes while at the same time, some people find it difficult to buy just the basic books needed to study for these exams.

I'm not against any sort of protection or incentive being given to people who need support, but just like anything else in the world every incentive should be merit based or have a limited time frame.

Other options that could have been explored:

- Providing a concession to students from SC/ST/OBC – example – if for a normal student the cut off is 90% then the cutoff can be relaxed (just during the admission phase) by a 10% margin (thereby making the new cutoff 81%) for students who need this support. If even after this the seats cannot be filled up then the general category students should be allowed to fill up these seats.

- No incentive should be given to students from SC/ST/ OBC whose parents combined income is above 5 lakhs (the figure has just been used as an example). The concessions and incentives should be for people who really need this support and not for students who's parents have already become doctors, lawyers, etc.

- providing more need based scholarships for students from the SC/ST/OBC category, especially for students from lower income groups.

- Gradually reducing the level of reservation over a ten/fifteen year time frame. It's ridiculous to just give a concession for an unlimited period of time. With this we are actually moving backward and not forward.

- If this is a problem prevalent only in "certain states" where a greater incentive is needed why not establish some minority institutes.

The law of the land should be the same. No particular community should be better off while others are worse off.

The government would have been better off focusing on two other aspects of education

- Primary education: providing the right kind of infrastructure at the grass-root level. Government should assist in providing more teachers and increasing the salary for these teachers if they want to really make a change. This would go a long way in building a better tomorrow for everyone.

- Vocational Education: a large number of vocational training institutes should be setup to give people the right kind of skills, necessary for getting jobs in this country.

However, the government does not seem to focus on this large issue but works on the vote bank and prefers to take the easy path of increasing reservations. No wonder this announcement was made only a few days before the state elections. The EC should be taking the Congress government to task.

Implications of this New Bill:

There would definitely be a huge void created. The quality of students would be hit. There would be tremendous pressure on each student trying to get into any government funded university at an undergraduate or post graduate level. People with 80-85% marks would be denied admission for no fault theirs.

People would prefer to leave the country and study abroad. Out of the foreign students joining university in US and UK, more than 10% are Indians. At this rate this number will only go up in the future. Why are we sending our best to the rest of the world?

Other concerns:

- Why would people want to create more distinctions in our society? Aren't we already plagued by enough on the religious front that we need people to be split up based on castes? We are all Indians and all we really need is an equal opportunity.

- Universities like DU also have an ECA and Sports quota of nearly 5%. If we take this quota into account, then the seat for the general category students is reduced to just about 45%.

- Would you take your own child, mother or father to a doctor who has barely managed to pass a basic exam or has become a doctor even though there were thousands of people more qualified than him? There is a cost attached to this implication resulting from a greater demand on limited better resources.

- Don't know how many people already know this but there is already a law which provides for a concession to be given to SC/ST/OBCs during their promotions in government services. Thus our current law not only lets them get a concession to enter, but also gives them life long benefits and allows them to get promoted before others even if they are not as qualified as the other people. Isn't this a case of undue enrichment of one section of society?

Imagine a scenario where you are better at everything than another person. The other person has got the same job because he got through a quota. Now, based on the existing law (which completely took me by surprise when I started doing research on this!!!) the other person who is actually BAD at his work will get promoted over you, just because he is a SC/ST or an OBC. What kind of incentive system is this which provides for a lifetime benefit without asking for people to even work hard for the benefits?

Article 16(4) empowers the State to make any provision for the reservation in appointments or posts in favour of any backward class of citizens which, in the opinion of the State, is not adequately represented in the services under the State

Article 16(4A) Nothing in this Article shall prevent the State from making any provision for reservation in matters of promotion to any class or classes of posts in the services under the State in favour of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes which, in the opinion of the State, are not adequately represented in the services under the State

Article 335 The claims of the members of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes shall be taken into consideration, consistently with the maintenance of efficiency of administration, in the making of appointments to services and posts in connection with the affairs of the Union or of a State.

The question is how many such provisions do we really need? In India, SC/ST and OBCs are not excluded from offices and positions in the government. The Indian Constitution provides for ample reservation for them in educational institutions and in public employment. There is no country in the world which has such extensive and positive affirmative action provisions as India. SC/ST and OBCs have been appointed as judges of the Supreme Court and the High Court. The President of India, the highest post under the Constitution, was graced by a dalit. Ministers in the central and state cabinets have been and are from SC/ST and OBCs. Why are these facts not highlighted?

Our options today as citizens:

Stand up against this injustice. Let them not ruin the country for the sake of a few votes. Ensure that all of us discuss this issue at every given forum. Discuss this on every news channel, every radio station and every newspaper. Lets all campaign against increase in reservations. We all need to work towards making people understand that we are not against any concession but against the way it will be implemented. A law must be sensitive to the needs of all concerned and not unduly favour a few segments of society. Forward this and other such messages to everyone we know.

File a petition against this Bill of it ever becomes an ACT. Ensure they understand that we strongly oppose this. I believe under the given Indian Laws we cannot do anything till it becomes an ACT.

Hoping for your support

Yash Sehgal

IIM Kozhikode

Citizen of India

the way it is...

2006-03-03T05:51:32Z

Success has no address.
No landmark.
No calling card.
But the path is steep.
And some will take the elevator.
But I will take the stairs.
Some will get there faster.
But I will get there stonger.
And adversity will be my travelling companion.
Because when i get there,
I can turn to adversity and say,
So long.
And heave the bag of taunts
and insults that i gathered
along the way, and scatter them
to the birds.
I will miss them.
But feel lighter.
Yes.
That will be the day.
When I stand at
a large bay window.
And unclench my fist.
For there will be no more
odds to conquer.
Not even in the mind.

"I like odds. They help me get even."

Jobless as I am

2005-12-07T01:48:26Z

You Have A Type A- Personality

A-

You are one of the most balanced people around
Motivated and focused, you are good at getting what you want
You rule at success, but success doesn't rule you.

When it's playtime, you really know how to kick back
Whether it's hanging out with friends or doing something you love!
You live life to the fullest - encorporating the best of both worlds

Do You Have a Type A Personality?

Skiing Weekend - Val Thorens

2005-12-02T13:25:28Z

Had the best time last weekend SKIING :D I am sure I am one of some 100 Indian's who can manage the Blue slopes

snaps uploaded on the following link:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/ysehgal01/my_photos

Highly recommend everyone try Skiing (and not ice-skating coz that is really hard!!! and ur bum hurts like hell after the first day). The fresh snow is amazing and its a different experience - a must try...

cheers!

Another Exciting Day at the Police Station!!!

2005-10-17T17:11:54Z

Life can be a bitch every once in a while but today – I am a lot happier. After all the excitement over the weekend (when I was mugged) I finally got a chance to report the incident to the police. Just like India, the French are equally if not more bureaucratic and you have to goto the main police station of the area the robbery took place and report it.

Well the local cops at Cite Universitaire sent me to goto the Gare De Lyon police station and as always the French proved that they are a confused bunch. I needed to goto the Cour St-Emilion police station (which is smaller and not open on Saturday and Sunday!!!) as it was closer to the venue of the mugging!!! So I had to take a bus (my first bus ride in paris J) from Gare De Lyon to Cour St-Emilion.

Ashima(Indian who now stays in Canada), who speaks perfect French, was kind and generous enough to offer to come with me to the police station. Her help today was invaluable coz they only speak French at the police stations (so anyone planning to get mugged… learn French first!!!) It tool only 20 mins (after 30 mins of waiting) to get the report written thanx to her help. However, as I mentioned to the cop that I can recognize the chap who mugged me, I have to go back tomorrow to identify the chap using some photographs (will definitely be an interesting experience!!!)

Well thats it for now… back to Brand Management class J which is really cool!

Cheers!!!

Sandy aur usske Washing powder ki kahani!

2005-10-16T10:16:11Z

This is the tail of Sandy (Sandipan) and his life in Paris over the last 4 weeks… our very own alcoholic from IIMK, has decided to support all the NGO’s in India who have been desperately convincing people to conserve water. In his desire to help the world he has decided to not wash his clothes (read as - he forgot the detergent back home and is not wanting to buy one here!!!) and has further decided to restrict his weekly bath to just two minutes (read as – he forgot soap in India tooo – why, why, why!!!)

This is besides the urban legend that Sandy was the ‘hero’ off in which he threw up 4 times in 4 separate metro stations after an awesome party hosted by ESCP-EAP.

The list of his antics goes on but due to his current (rather unhygienic) antics, three of us have decided to not cook any food for him till he:

Has a One hour Bath… it’s a Sunday and he has time to kill
Puts his “Caution : Imitate at your own risk” – yellow T-shirt for washing. (He lives under this misconception that as this is a Nike T-shirt it does not get dirty!!!)

The biggest victims have been Nitai (his roommate), Suzana and Melanie, who are today the ‘best friends’ of Sandy.

God please Save Our Souls!!!

I am very very Pissed Off!!!

2005-10-15T12:33:30Z

Paris is a wonderful city and my amazing stay in Paris has somewhat been dampened by the incident last night at the 50 Cent concert… (yes I went for a 50 Cent concert!!!)

The concert was amazing till the time I got robbed… 50 was singing “in da club…” and I was attempting to film it… from nowhere 6 black guys came and one of them snatched my cell out of my hand and ran into the crowd. In the resulting chase, one of those F#$%@# snatched my nice black jacket also, while I had no option but to continue to follow the guy who took my cell!!! I even caught up with him – but by then he was clean… he had handed the cell to someone else and I was left standing in front of a black guy who had nothing of mine on him L

We even got the guards and found the ‘black gang’ much later, but they were all clean L The gang left many women crying and a lot of men very very pissed off (many lost their cameras also!!!)

I have nothing against people who are ‘black’. I might be an arrogant, pompous bastard myself, but I’m definitely not racist!!! I know exactly how it feels to be singled out in a crowd and be “randomly selected” for a full security check at every airport in US (that’s when I was there right after 9/11). But I guess the way I will look at every new ‘black’ person (whom I have not met earlier) will change. I will always be a little more cautious in their presence. Once bitten, twice shy!!!

Worse still, I went to the police station (next to Cite Universitaire) with a Norwegian friend (Thanks Kristine (she speaks very good French and has prior experience of going and reporting robberies at police stations) for all the help!!!) to report the robbery, but they were shut (they are not open on Saturdays!!! HOW DUMB ARE THE FRENCH!!!).

So it’s a beautiful day outside and I’m really not in the best mood… reading would have helped but even that gives me a headache now (as I also lost my specs in the chase and didn’t get a spare!!!)

C'est La Vie

(P.S. – I use the term ‘black’ to define those 6 assholes!!! or their type of sick people, who think robbing people is cool)

Success

2005-10-13T20:38:44Z

Success has no address.
No landmark.
No calling card.
But the path is steep.
And some will take the elevator.
But I will take the stairs.
Some will get there faster.
But I will get there stonger.
And adversity will be my travelling companion.
Because when I get there,
I can turn to adversity and say,
So long...
And heave the bag of taunts
and insults that I gathered along the way,
And scatter them to the birds.
I will miss them.
But feel lighter.
Yes.
That will be the day.
When I stand at a large bay window.
And unclench my fist.
For there will be no more odds to conquer.
Not even in the mind.

I like odds. They help me get even...

Coach Carter

2005-06-24T23:20:09Z

another nice movie that I saw recently...

especially like this bit...

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our dark that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people don't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. Its not just in some of us; its in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsiously give other people to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others" - Timo Cruz

adding something else I also read somewhere...
"Being perfect is not about that scoreboard out there. It's not about winning. It's about you and your relationship with yourself, your family and your friends. Being perfect is about being able to look your friends in the eye and know that you didnt let them down because you told them the truth. And that truth is you did everything you could. There wasnt one more thing you could've done. Can you live in that moment as best you can, with clear eyes, and love in your heart, with joy in your heart? If you can do that - you're perfect!"

The Guy in the Glass

2005-06-07T20:45:04Z

When you get what you want in your struggle for self
And the world makes you king for a day
Just go to the mirror and look at yourself
And see what that man has to say.

For it isn't your Father or Mother or wife
Whose judgement upon you must pass.
The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the one staring back from the glass.

Some people may call you a straight shooting chum
And call you a wonderful guy,
but the man in the glass says you're only a bum
If you can't look him straight in the eye.

He's the fellow to please, never mind all the rest
For he's with you clear to the end,
And you have passed your most dangerous test
If the man in the glass is your friend.

You may face the whole world down the pathway of life
And get pats on the back when you pass,
But your final reward will be heartache and strife
If you've cheated the man in the glass.

- Dale Wimbrow, 1895-1954

Certified Derivatives Trader :D

2005-05-24T11:20:06Z

Decided its about time I updated everyone on whats happening in my life.

In mumbai... finishing my summer internship with Aditya Birla... working for their insurance division... havnt started making the report... havnt started the ppt... 8 days to go!!!

Good news - I just cleared a National Stock Exchange Certificate Exam on Derivatives. This means I can officially become a trader on the market!!! I was quite disappointed actually... it was quite an easy paper and I didn’t study as well as I should have – got only a 75%... pass marks were 60%...

Have another exam on Thursday for becoming an official trader of commodities... Hopefully will do a little better in that one!

Thats abt it for now...

Ode to the Nice Guys

2005-02-14T15:13:12Z

very very interesting :)

a must read...

This rant was written for the Wharton Undergraduate Journal - By Fu-zu Jen, SEAS/WH, 2003

"This is a tribute to the nice guys. The nice guys that finish last,that never become more than friends, that endure hours of whining and bitching about what assholes guys are, while disproving the very point. This is dedicated to those guys who always provide a shoulder to lean on but restrain themselves to tentative hugs, those guys who hold open doors and give reassuring pats on the back and sit patiently outside the changing room at department stores. This is in honor of the guys that obligingly reiterate how cute/beautiful/smart/funny/sexy their female friends are at the appropriate moment, because they know most girls need that litany of support. This is in honor of the guys with open minds, with laid-back attitudes, with honest concern. This is in honor of the guys who respect a girl's every facet, from her privacy to her theology to her clothing style.

This is for the guys who escort their drunk, bewildered female friends back from parties and never take advantage once they're at her door, for the guys who accompany girls to bars as buffers against the rest of the creepy male population, for the guys who know a girl is fishing for compliments but give them out anyway, for the guys who always play by the rules in a game where the rules favor cheaters, for the guys who are accredited as boyfriend material but somehow don't end up being boyfriends, for all the nice guys who are overlooked, underestimated, and unappreciated, for all the nice guys who are manipulated, misled, and unjustly abandoned, this is for you.

This is for that time she left 40 urgent messages on your cell phone, and when you called her back, she spent three hours painstakingly dissecting two sentences her boyfriend said to her over dinner. And even though you thought her boyfriend was a chump and a jerk, you assured her that it was all ok and she shouldn't worry about it. This is for that time she interrupted the best killing spree you'd ever orchestrated in GTA3 to rant about a rumor that romantically linked her and the guy she thinks is the most repulsive person in the world. And even though you thought it was immature and you had nothing against the guy, you paused the game for two hours and helped her concoct a counter-rumor to spread around the floor. This is also for that time she didn't have a date, so after numerous vows that there was nothing "serious" between the two of you, she dragged you to a party where you knew nobody, the beer was awful, and she flirted shamelessly with you, justifying each fit of reckless teasing by announcing to everyone: "oh, but we're just friends!" And even though you were invited purely as a symbolic warm body for her ego, you went anyways. Because you're nice like that.

The nice guys don't often get credit where credit is due. And perhaps more disturbing, the nice guys don't seem to get laid as often as they should. And I wish I could logically explain this trend, but I can't. From what I have observed on campus and what I have learned from talking to friends at other schools and in the workplace, the only conclusion I can form is that many girls are just illogical, manipulative bitches. Many of them claim they just want to date a nice guy, but when presented with such a specimen, they say irrational, confusing things such as "oh, he's too nice to date" or "he would be a good boyfriend but he's not for me" or "he already puts up with so much from me, I couldn't possibly ask him out!" or the most frustrating of all: "no, it would ruin our friendship." Yet, they continue to lament the lack of datable men in the world, and they expect their too-nice-to-date male friends to sympathize and apologize for the men that are jerks. Sorry, guys, girls like that are beyond my ability to fathom. I can't figure out why the connection breaks down between what they say (I want a nice guy!) and what they do (I'm going to sleep with this complete ass now!). But one thing I can do, is say that the nice-guy-finishes-last phenomenon doesn't last forever. There are definitely many girls who grow out of that train of thought and realize they should be dating the nice guys, not taking them for granted. The tricky part is finding those girls, and even trickier, finding the ones that are single.

So, until those girls are found, I propose a toast to all the nice guys. You know who you are, and I know you're sick of hearing yourself described as ubiquitously nice. But the truth of the matter is, the world needs your patience in the department store, your holding open of doors, your party escorting services, your propensity to be a sucker for a pretty smile. For all the crazy, inane, absurd things you tolerate, for all the situations where you are the faceless, nameless hero, my accolades, my acknowledgement, and my gratitude go out to you. You do have credibility in this society, and your well deserved vindication is coming.”

My Sentimental Friend

2005-02-13T21:30:17Z

On the floor, the people dancing round
Moving close together
But there over low in the corner
There's the girl I once knew
Who broke me in two.
So won't you please play a song
A sentimental song
For my sentimental friend over there.

We've been so long apart
Make it go right to the heart
Of my sentimental friend over there.
Bring the tears to her eyes
Help to make her realize
The love we had was just beyond compare.
And if the time is right
Maybe I'll held her tight
My sentimental friend over there.

I recall the way she used to feel
When we heard a sad song
The teardrops would fall
And she'd hold me
And tell me,
She'd be for ever with me.
So won't you please play a song
A sentimental song
For my sentimental friend over there.

We've been so long apart
Make it go right to the heart
Of my sentimental friend over there.
Bring the tears to her eyes
Help to make her realize
The love we had was just beyond compare.
And if the time is right
Maybe I'll held her tight
My sentimental friend over there.

Finally...

2004-11-28T13:44:32Z

Yesterday I saw something worthwhile…. 10 teams started making presentations for the ITC business plan contest… 10 great ideas… 10 great plans… some lacked execution skills… some lacked presentation skills – but none lacked enthusiasm… felt good to be at a B-School…

Unfortunately for some, ITC was looking for something simple on which they could make a lot of money QUICKLY!!!! So much for everlasting value creation…

Some of my friends did not make the final cut… don’t know how or why… but they were all believers… believers that they had put in their best efforts till that stage…

Learnt a lot just by listening to some people… A special mention for Shounak… he rocks!!! For his team winning wasn't everything - but wanting to win was… great show dada, rohit and rahul… All I can say to them is that "It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up."… Next time we do it together…

Krishnan’s team won the event with Maddy, Jasleen & Co. a close second… best of luck at the finals people!!!

Cheers!!!

Someday it will all fall in place...

2004-11-26T22:29:57Z

“It’s not the critic that counts, not the man who points out where the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who’s actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthwhile cause, who at best knows in the end the triumphs of high achievement, and at worst, if he fails at least fails whilst daring greatly. His place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither defeat or victory.”

one more try... someday it will all fall in place...

More exams... more submissions

2004-09-16T14:27:32Z

This just doesn't seem to end...

OB project finished at 3pm... IT Assignment was submitted at 5pm... Big plans to finish MC (Management Communication) submission by 10:30pm and MM (Marketing Management) project at night (atleast another 6 hours of work left)!!! I think our group is totally relying on Mr. Sinha to finish that submission - may god bless his kind soul!

god only knows why people decide to come to MBA school - but I can assure the world that IIM-K takes the life out of you...

Real happy with the work we have done for Organisational Behaviour(OB). Hope Father will spend some time and read it...

As for other things - no time to sleep :(

Exam Schedule is out and is as follows:-
First day
MM - time to give Dr. P some Gyan
Quantitative Methods - loads and loads of Stats

Second Day
Social Transformation of India - I will not read and go
IT - I don't care...
OB - May father have mercy on us...

Third Day
Management Accounts - need to do well
Economics - need to do well

As they say - somethings just have to be done. Time to get crackin again!

Cheers!

Kunu's Janamdin & LML Survey

2004-09-13T03:33:20Z

The last few days - hectic as always...

Sometimes I wonder if the IIM's should realize that soo much work will result in a reduction in quality in certain areas... I personally could really not care about certain projects that we have been asked to do... however, in the better interest of the group will finish the projects with the same enthusiasm as other - more appropriate projects...

It was Kunnu's Bday on Saturday night.... usual party at G-top was the final outcome... Kunnu was definitely missing 'Master' & 'Grandma' and was frantically trying to get their number so that he could talk to them...

Too much to drink... too much to eat... and loads of music that we could not listen too (Sidekick DJ Raul insists that he will have to send more music!) Kaki at her usual best - dancing away with Rohit...

We got a card and even a present for Kunnu baba... loads of fun - especially while singing 'We didn’t start the fire' & 'wonderwall'. Definitely need to do these more often!
Gogon deep singh Kalsi – we are all waiting for the snaps man – send quickly macha!!

Yesterday the better half of the day evening was spent at the beach - LML Freedom Survey. Probably the worst company - which doesn't manage to sell any bikes in Calicut... Out of the 2000 odd bikes on the beach - there were only 8 Freedom's... Raul & Sandipan were busy chasing people who owned Freedom on their Fierro (it was just way too funny man.... it was like a hindi movie chase!!!)

Rohit & I interviewed a kid who had bought the bike 3 days ago... he was with a group of people and everyone pitched in to answer every question!!!

Anyway – a great learning experience and loads of ‘gyan’ about marketing & sales was gathered in one evening …

In the evening Dr. P deceided to play a GAME insted of the usual Case... All I can say is that my Marketing Group ROCKS!!!! Highest Brand recall... way to go janta...

More for later – MA class in 30 mins…

Another Quiz…

2004-09-07T04:53:14Z

Most of us in section B seem to be struggling in Economics….

I really liked this subject in school and even went out of my way to read Lipsey back then...

However, today I find myself fighting to keep my eyes open trying to read what Mr. Dominick Salvatore has to say... the problem is somewhat compounded by the fact that we just are not ready to understand soo much Managerial Economics and cant figure out where the papers come from... I can honestly say that I read the chapters last time for the quiz (TWICE!!!) and still didn’t know shit :(

Therefore I have come the firm conclusion that in Economics the only truth is that 'there is an inverse price-quantity relationship for demand'. Beyond that everything thing is just.... (don't get me started)

When they can't seem to explain something Economists love to use the term 'ceteris paribus' and other wierd assumptions... how can there be soo many assumptions in anything!!!

C'est la Vie

OB, MM and QM Lectures…. The Good, the Bad... and the Ugly!!!

2004-09-03T10:19:39Z

I have come to more conclusions… My mood is rather contemplative now-a-days…

Dr. K Unnikrishnan Nair is an awesome Prof… will take atleast one elective that he will be teaching next year… I really enjoyed his class and am hoping that he will take OB–2 for us. Finally a class in which i did not feel sleepy(Good :))
Dr. P is killin me with all this MM work - Project, 2 chapters to read, case… two case notes… Grrrrrr… Life cannot go on like this… (Bad!)
As for QM… our presentation was a big flop show… we got booed… Will have to make it all over again…i am struggling (Ugly!)

Time to go back and read some more MM/QM/ME/MA/MC??? (too many M’s in my life right now!)

Cheers!

P.S. – will recommend to PGP chairman that we should be taught only 5 subjects each term.

IIMK – rockin again!!!

2004-09-03T09:51:01Z

We have a new DJ on campus….and to tell you the truth I think DJ Fido Dido did an amazing job yesterday night…. The party rocked man…. Fido Dido – zindabad!! I am also keen to acknowledge the efforts of his sidekick ‘Jack’ who ensured that Fido was well taken care….

Last night was the first time that PGP08 organized a college party… Mr. G was primarily responsible for ensuring all the backend… good job motu! The party, which was long overdue, was thanx to the contribution made by the different board members…

The attendance of the senior batch was quite low, due to their mid terms starting in the next two days… however loads of people of or batch were also missing… next time we shall ask SCON to impose a fine :) attendance will be made compulsory.

While Sandeep Gopal and Bunty had their share of the limelight – outdoing each other with their fancy dance moves… Mr. G was busy entertaining the various shades of BLUE… Just outside sumit, chak and amarpreet were busy telling each other about And’s love for economics… and inside “sab ne ‘dekh-li-ya’ kya ho raha hai!!!” lots of hearts were broken with Bunty finding solace in the company of …(keep guessin!!!)

As for me - I reached late (rather unlike me.... what to do - was sleepin) and danced till my feet ached… I also got my usual dose of gyan from Kaki….

In my spirited state I reached a couple of conclusions –
1. Most people in my batch are very serious and don’t like coming to parties…. Why?? Why?? Why??… tell me why?????
2. IIMK should enroll students next year, with a strong bias towards woman… will go a long way in improving the conditions on campus…. I speak on behalf of everyone in ‘F’
3. Parties should only be held on campus on Saturdays…
4. Kaki is a ‘kamini’
5. Rohit is a very good man at heart, and always keeps everyones interest in mind… however, he has fingers in tooo many pies… and will drive himself crazy trying to do everything.

On the downside… everything got over tooo soon… nothing was left to eat or drink at 3am… too early for a party to end!!!

Thereafter, the Pig ‘maddy’ came over to have his share of Rajma Chawal – and did not clean the plate after that (NO more food for the PIG)

Time to get some sleep…. QM presentation tomorrow… oooops – today!!!

Bangalore – my second home…

2004-08-31T03:06:14Z

Tuesday morning and I have just come back from Bangalore….

Sipping a cup of lemon tea and having the remains of the chocolate cake Neha baked for me I find myself thinking about what has been happening for the last 4 days… a rather eventful 4 days…

Friday and Saturday were very hectic…
Lots of illustrious speakers from the IT world on campus…

• Mr. Arun Seth, Chairman, BT India and Chairman, ITeS-BPO, NASSCOM
• Mr. Sam Iyengar, Senior Advisor, ITSMA
• Mr. MV Sarma, AVP, GIS, Computer Sciences Corporation India Ltd
• Mr. Deepak Khosla, GM (Central Marketing), Patni
• Mr. Subhash Dhar, Head, Communication Services Business, Infosys
• Ms. Sangita Singh, CMO and Vice President, Wipro Technologies
• Mr. Ramkumar Ramamoorthy, Senior Manager, Corporate Marketing, Cognizant
• Mr. Aju Thomas, Tata Consultancy Services
• Mr. Neeraj Bhargava, Group CEO, WNS Global Services

All these people on campus, thanx to Abhinav and Anirudh of the second year at IIMK, who are the heart & soul of Abakus, the systems interest group at IIMK. These two worked tirelessly to arrange the whole event. Amazing work… just keep at it man…

The event meant that accidentally I had a lot of work on my hands… just decided to go check out the new guest house(for the view) with Abhinav on Friday evening at 4pm… ended up coming back to my room at 11:30pm... had to clean room, look for sweepers, change bed sheets, clean utensils, get food arranged… and the list goes on…
Was rather embarrassed when Mr. Ramkumar came for breakfast at 8 am sharp the next day and breakfast was not ready… (Pavithra and I were still cleaning the plates). I must say the speakers were very supportive and understanding. Mr. Seth went on to tell us how he had a lot of problem finding goat milk for one of the speakers during his days at IIMC.

Lots of things to learn form it… made a checklist and sent it out to some people who may need it, so that next time we can step it up a notch…

On Saturday night I was on my way to Bangalore… to meet zubin and neha… hadn’t seen them in a while and was really looking forward to this two day break…

Reached at 6am… slept at Zubin’s house… Jaggu/Boo as we all fondly call him – is working his way up the sheet metal and gasket industry – I predict that he will make it all the way to the top within 5 years…

Got a much needed haircut and head massage… went for lunch to the ‘Five Elements’ new hangout in Bangalore with Zubin, Subs and Anand… had some very good Chicken Steak and French onion soup…

Went to meet Kian – Zubin’s new born nephew… God, babies are so small…:) his hand are not even as long as my little finger… and I love the way babies smile… looks just like Shaina (Zubin’s sis).

Post lunch we all at Neha’s house… it was wonderful to see her again… Neha has been bed-ridden for quiet a while after her 8 hour long back surgery early this year… Now she can bend and tilt her back by 6 degrees… :) hoping she gets better soon…

Neha’s dad is a dude at SCM – will call him to deliver a lecture after we have done that course in 2nd year…Her mom had gone overboard and made my favourite – Rogan Josh for dinner… god I must have gained a couple of pounds… (will start the jog form this week).

Post dinner, we all went out to Oblivion – and had some remarkable cocktails… god it felt good to be back in Bangalore…

The next day, Rakhi was celebrated with full josh and enthusiasm and Zubin’s mom was kind enough to tie me all the rakhi’s that Vennu, Nidhi, Mahima and Kanika had sent… had a nice chat with Zubin’s dad – he always has a way of putting things into perspective.

Spent the better half of the day at Neha’s place – just chillin – eating cheesy pop-corn and watchin ‘King Arthur’. Its always good to catch up with old friends…

In the evening met Jaggu at Forum – a new mall in Bangalore… and I’m telling you people this one is really good… Had PiZZA for dinner (I can still taste the cheese!!!) and was on my way back to IIM-K…. a place far far away from the real world as I know it…

On the downside… called Nihar’s mom a coupe of times – her phone was always on voice message and no one was at home :( wish I could have met her, Nikil and Niska. Couldn’t also meet Subs on Monday, as she was at yoga class :(

On the whole, I’m glad I took the two days off… needed the break to revitalize my five senses… We have resolved to meet more often and there should be a reunion sometime next year… the old RV gang – Nihar, Zubin, Neha, Rohini, Akshay and me… looking forward to it already :)

Cheers!!!

Venture @ IIMK

2004-08-25T20:12:28Z

Today was a very good day. Started the process of establishing an Entrepreneurship Club at IIM-K…. at the introductory meeting 10 people were present (yeah!!!) lots of good ideas were floated and I really hope we can go ahead and implement some of them.
In brief we hope to:

(a) Hold a seminar at IIM-K in conjunction with the Finance and Strategy interest groups. Get everybody involved…. The more janta - the merrier....
(b) Hold an Entrepreneurial Panel discussion with venture capitalists, successful entrepreneurs and lawyers. Thinking of doing something this time when Horizons happens(Vikhyat came up with this) or sometime next year(the original plan)…
(c) Help in the development of an Incubation Cell at IIM-K… I really hope this comes up soon… I know some people (including me!!!) who could do with this.
(d) Compete in Business Plan Challenges held globally…. Harvard, MIT... here we come…

Lots of highly motivated people part of the team…. Raul and Kayshap have decided to make a presentation on Google sometime next week... should be a good way to start...

Hope we can all see this through… Keeping my fingers crossed…

Yash

P.S. - hostel rep elections happened today. Kayshap was the first to be unanimously elected. His election symbol was the pot :) I hope he can manage to keep them clean this time...

Inertia and the Laws of Motion

2004-08-24T10:51:21Z

Nature and Nature's laws - lay hid in night;
God said, "Let Newton be!" And there was light.
-- Alexander Pope

I guess I now truly appreciate would Newton had proposed so many centuries ago… That inertia is inevitable and unavoidable.

The present state of my mind – resisting any change that comes its way… waves come crash into me and I just continue to stand… my stillness scares me… Where is that force that will be needed to move me… will it ever come?

When life has become a race against time… so much work to do and yet a desire to do nothing… it can be really irritating – this desire to do nothing…

Where does the power come to see the race to its end…
From within(or so I hope!!!)
Hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel……….(and it should not be a train…)

On the bright side… I have loads of new friends… and I’m glad they all give me my space to breathe…. Kunu is always busy with ‘master’- ensuring we all get placed and Raul is either on the phone or using his newly acquired IBM… Kaki is busy asking all the men at 12 am “show me your figures” and “what are your stats??” while Rohit is busy hitting on anything that remotely looks like a girl (he is gonna screw me for this!!!) Karfi is the silent killer… a man of few words… a man we all turn to in time of despair… and Shounak dada – the coffee man… makes some very good coffee…. Gagan busy singing another song of Pearl Jam… life is fun @ K!!

The Black Holes

2004-08-22T13:39:53Z

If only managing time was a simple process I would always wake up for breakfast, finish all my work before going to class, study for all my class tests and write a blog daily (I have a lot to say!)

Coming back to the Black Hole theory that I have to finish…
"If you jump into a black hole, your mass energy will be returned to our universe, but in a mangled form, which contains the information about what you were like, but in an unrecognizable state." Professor Stephen Hawking

If there is one truth in the universe then let it be the theory that I now put forward!!!
The very famous Black Holes of IIMK

Sameer Seth – Grandma Sam – The Storyteller. If there is any gossip on campus, Sam will know for sure. When Adam Smith proposed the theory of the Invisible Hand – he must have had Sam in mind. If anything has to be done – Sam will know always know someone who can do it… a very resourceful man. Recently has been noticed spending his time with….. (Rohit/Kunal have the answer to that one)

Neel Kothari – The senior batch ‘Chikna’ – not only did every girl who came from Bangalore for Backwaters notice him… he is immensely popular amongst our batch girls. The guru of marketing – he is always willing to lend a hand at whatever people are doing. For the last few weeks has been spending less time with Adi… other things on his mind!

Prashant Dinodia – Chimpy – the batch topper of sorts. Very good in Finance – hard for people to overlook his numerous talents. Easy going and supportive, the man will go a long way in this life. Will also hopefully help lesser mortals like me to understand accounts and get our C-. Rumor has it that he was responsible for making someone from our batch cry during orientation. (he broke a lot of hearts that day!)

Varun Madhok – The Pig… can eat as much food as you can serve him. Also is the official entertainer while coming back from any party as he loves to sing jingles… “Nirma, Nirma, washing powder Nirma; iske jhag neh jadu kar diya” is his favourite. Maddy comes across as a LAZY but the man is like a duck – calm on the surface but paddling furiously underwater… went to Switzerland for a conference last summer (one of 200 people from the world to make it there)

Ashwini Dayal – Dada – the grand old man – wise and patient. The one they all (including me!) go for advice on anything and everything. Dada is from Modern(VV), so he is definitely a good guy(modern-modern – bhai-bhai). Known to roam the corridors of G hostel in his Purple night suit!!! With his ability to balance work and play, we are banking on him to deliver us HLL, P&G and Goldmann…

Richard Dixon – The Master. The guy who is a complete hygiene freak. Try touching his food and experience his antics. He thinks the whole world is infested with insects, dirty and full of germs. He cleans the loo every time, before he goes to uses it. Infact he has a special time - 4 am in the morning when no one is around to disturb him. He apparently only used to have mineral water. Also, he is a man of few words and very very dangerous.

Amar Mehta – Man who is the proprietor of Club Mehta… Mr. COOL, totally unfazed by anything that Diro or any other man or woman has to say. Very good taste in Music - from trance to hard rock… definitely knows how to have a good time. Likes to believe that quitting smoking will not help him get back to shape, a jog around campus will!!! Known for his ability to make cocktails and his collection of shot glasses. Part of ‘Twins’(read about this in GG's Section)

Karan Shah – Bhopu – the man who is selfless. Member of Senior Student Council. Man everyone loves to hate and hate to love. Full of enthusiasm and often blamed for playing pool on his laptop in class, he is responsible for creating all the problems and their subsequent solutions. We can not do without him.

Gaurav Gollerkeri – GG - the only one who will not give Free Gyan. Will give gyan (and enough of it!!!) if only you ask(man has principles!). Has just come back from Delhi, after kickin DCE’s butt in the university challenge. One of the best quizzers on campus and a very very good runner…its impossible to keep up with him (Amar will agree!) For the record Amar and he are like Arnold and DannyDeVito from Twins… opposites, yet inseparable – like their Post-it!

Ronald Philip – The King / The Phantom – anytime, anyplace, just give him time and he will go on and on and on… just like the Energizer Battery… the man has tremendous potential, extremely hard working and marvelous with his PR… his batch loves him… ours cheers him on.. keep it going Ron!

Black holes do leave a lasting impression on all of us. They are good people, all working untiringly for the sake of IIMK… making the institute a better place.

I hope they can continue to absorb energy and keep working at the pace that they have set for themselves…

Wishing them all luck!

Yash