Election Curtain Raiser ....

The election heat is back .People sitting on the fringes have been swirled into the tornado unleashed. But it is also imperative that newcomers are not carried away by the enthusiasm and forget to judiciously take electorate decisions. It is a season of promises, public posturing unbridled, playing to the gallery and the one making his maiden entry has the privilege of having the extra mileage. This is exactly what AAP has been doing. It has been able to capture the imaginations of the intelligentsia and the crowds  alike , with it's uncomplicated approach to electoral politics. The platform provided by Anna was a head start momentum , upon which it had the confidence of the electorates who rightly imposed their faith in the ensuing Delhi election in 2014. Besides forcing discussions on tangible issues concerning the public, it forced political parties to raise political discourse to pertinent public issues rather than dwell on farce concerns. However as it is said... Good agitators need not necessarily be good administrators .. the same is being felt for AAP. It had a golden chance to prove it's model of governance, where public services are delivered unencumbered , undiluted however it squandered away that opportunity. To say that Jan Lok Pal Bill is not being allowed to see the light of the day, cannot be a clinching factor to put Delhi in a state of LG 's rule. Further, issues of administrative procedures were routinely converted to ideologue concerns to satiate anti establishment sentiments deep embedded in the DNA of the top leadership of AAP. By making tall promises of reducing power tariff without undertaking due diligence, blaming the societal degradation on lack of policing, undoing economic liberalization by harping on permanency of jobs as anathema to under performance rather than bringing in efficiency & effectiveness in public delivery. On issues that require deliberations, where people at the helm can only take macro views, the effort of AAP had been to delegate policy making at the lowest level, which shall undo the tenets of public good. If two people especially neighbors cannot amicable settle parking issues, it is too much to expect them to undertake public services. Further, why people will devote time to services when they themselves are struggling to make both the ends meet in the times of inflation.

However AAP had definitely had created fear psychosis in the minds of people who had been fleeing the system for too long. AAP tenure had shaken the foundations of inertia, inefficiency and forced public workers to change track. But in government being honest is not good enough .. the need of the hour is to have deliverance mechanisms. AAP should have atleast made an attempt to change track to move on to next level because only that can bring about emancipation of citizens. Reliance definitely has tweaked system to it's advantage , however the blame must be put on the ministers and bureaucrats who let themselves to be played into their designs. Given  a chance,all but few would like to emulate Reliance.. it is just that hey have failed to emulate. But the issue is we cannot let cartels & monopolies dictate market prices. Similar holds true for PSU's who despite utopian social mandates have not delivered or are delivering inefficiently. The need of the hour to have more balanced views and judgements of the issues rather than let be driven by media and public frenzy. It is easy to fan public unrest but not easy to reign in. Every entry should have an exit strategy , sadly the same cannot be said for AAP. I hope with time and with hard experience they shall learn ....

Hazare Khwahishen Aisi, KI Ek Par Pawar to Nikle !

The Jan Lokpal Bill is being touted as the solution to the menace of corruption. A fierce proponent of the Bill in Anna Hazara, has been catapulted to national stage, ostensibly representing the aspirations and concerns of the soporific The Indian Middle Class. Despite the neat and honest intentions of the civil society to bring about a radical change in the crumbling, debilitating, archaic system, there are some vested interests which have raised their hood to the detriment of the cause of the bill.

During the agitation, Swami Agnivesh, often touted as a protégé of the government, was getting too prominence despite more elaborative works done by the like of Ramdev, who have espoused voice against corruption. As he already is a mediator between the Govt. and the Maoists, there is semblance to the fact that he propagates the interest of the incumbent government. Besides, the Lokpal committee having two people belonging to the same lineage is also a waste of resource. Even if one of the Bhushans’s were there in the team, it would have not deprived the Lokpal committee of their valuable inputs. I especially feel that the co chairman Mr. Shanti Bhushan, with due regards to the pioneering work in laying the foundation of the Lokpal Bill, is too senile to play as a defendant to the gymnastics of the government to derail the process. Similarly when Anna Hazare said that there is a need to constitute the committee comprising people who understand law, what sense does it make to have Swami Agnivesh in the team. Is the law degree that he earned from Calcutta University , still such a strong argument? Would not have been better to have a voice in the committee that would have been fearless , represented the conscience of the people, Swami Ramdev!

During the course of the agitation, what was a bit disappointing was the fact that there was no tangible opponent against which you are pitted. Systems, Procedures are created by humans and not vice versa. When we fight the system, there are bound to be people who are resistant to change and as agitators we should be targeting them. Taking their support and even thanking them, makes a complete mockery of the agitation. However you cannot alienate the whole political class at the same time by branding them corrupt, a sweeping statement that is bound to ruffle feathers, amongst those who are still a rarity in politics, i.e. honest politician, funnily an Oxymoron !

Finally one funny thing. At the peak of the agitation, the support that poured in from all quarters, must have been bemusing to the fasting Anna. When the people who are your opponents, at whom you are taking potshots, also take side with you, one must be left wondering who are we doing it against! It is like a wedding procession with all its grandeur, marching towards the brides’ venue, but the brides’  family too joins the troupe and when they  reach the venue, realization dawns in, where are the people to make the arrangements. J

Job Shop @ B-School

India , newly struck by materialism ,has a unique tendency to judge success or failure of education especially of MBA with the pay packages offered . The trend has become so perverse that it brings out synergies between the recruiters , the employers and the institutes to inflate the packages to the benefit of all but the aspiring MBA candidates , who once inside the hallowed portals of B-Schools are in for a reality check .
As India is a newly capitalised society , we are yet to come to terms with the repercussions of the contents of the job. Because we have been subjected to the precincts of government job , we take many things for granted when we opt for private sector jobs . But that extrapolation does not always hold true. Add to it the peer pressure , the social prestige of quoting exorbitant audacious salary figures , people finally give in to it .

I am not here to preach the virtues of government job over private sector job. For it will be out of bias , that my opinion might not be completely objective . However my contention is that we now need to move over and look beyond the numbers . We need to judge a job qualitatively , giving due weight age to the profile , the suitability . After all a job is a key lock mechanism . Your not fitting job profile does not make you unfit for work . Therefore it is hardly surprising that people who opted for the highest paying jobs are , in the not so distant future looking for a change desperately or worse off quit their job with a malice towards the corporate world .
Things might look rosy from distance and they are to an extent but as there is a saying that there are no free lunches , we should also be aware of the risks inherent .
In the end , it is the personal capability , the skill set and to an extent the fortitude that will take an individual to places .

Price for Failure ! Too big to Pay , Is it Really So ?

A student committed suicide after he failed in his Class 12 Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) mathematics examination in Patna police said on Sunday.

Mohammad Tabish Imam, 17, hanged himself on Saturday in his Manas path residence here after failing in the exam. He was a student of Shivam Public School.

A police officer said the case is being investigated.

Imam's father Mohammad Akhtar said, "My son was depressed after failing in mathematics. He, however, got 72 per cent over all in the examination."

A neighbour Sunil Prasad said Imam was a hard working boy and was shocked after failing in mathematics. "Examination failed him in life also," Prasad said.

It is one of the most depressing stories oft repeated , where students succumb to peer , parental and expectational baggage to out do others . It reflects a traumatic , decadent system at work that rates mental aptitude in a span of three hours by the yardstick of your vomitting all that you have inside you.

When God created humans and gave us the faculties to think , was it destined that some so called more mortals of us shall dictate , measure the mental faculties we posses . Is an examination , that is so uniform in structure , well designed enough to gauge all our calibre.
Some of the biggest contributors to the world of academics have been the ones who not just shunned but decried it . Some like Einstein have earnestlty attempted to redefine the precints of education as an end to a means of continuous knowlwdge enhncement.

As a matter of fact to succeed in world , what we are measuring in the confines of classroom is hardly of any relevance that will be required to equip ourselves to face the onslaught of world.

Also the government of the day needs to actively promote the concept of vocational training of equipping people with the requisite skills to empower them as truly competent human resources that are assets.

The stigma of failure can be lessened by giving another opportunity to reappear in the exam in the same year , atlest two more times , so save a precious year from being wasted. These days , the level of questions is such that , a month of intense preparation shall be enough to secure pass marks.

Now comes the more pertinent question , How does the afflicted party come to terms with it? I believe the first and the most important factor is your mental toughness . A person who shows resilience in the face of the most ardous times is destined for success . The change has to come from within , there has to be a sense of urgency prevailing , understanding the magnanimity of the problem . Passing it under the carpet , is not doing justice to the causes of failure .

Then comes the seriousness followed by a quiet yet steady effort piling up to prove a point of excellence . And remember , the most successful people are those who to accomplish what they strive come out of their comfort zone , achieve their goals and then recluse back to old self. We should be smart enough to attend the call of the times .

And how much whatsoever tough the going be , always the worst case of failing again should be deterrent enough to keep complacency at bay .

Eventually , it has been proved times immemorial , that success cannot elude the one to whom it belongs. Make yourself that coveted one .

For it is better to deserve and not receive than to receive and not deserve.

The Elections 2009

The elections to 15 th Lok Sabha came to a spectacular end . It lay shattered many of the myths of psephologists who predicted doom , prophesying emergence of third front as the kingmaker .

In the end , the elections were a tame win for the Congress led UPA , with third front left tattering while NDA scrambling for cover after one of the most vituperative elections campaigns .

These elections went the way they actually went , primarily for the reasons that most of the analysts hogging all the limelight on audio visual media , do not care to put before the gullible media .

• OBC Quota : Though the issue raised much hue and cry , with protest erupting all over the country from the pro and the anti lobby , it in a way marked the commitment of UPA to bring about inclusive growth . With springing of so many IIT 's and IIM's , day in day out , an urban voter that might have felt alienated by the divisive caste politics found some succour .
• NREGA : It was a well conceived , however equally ineptly executed scheme that made a sincere effort to bring the ostracized rural folks back into the mainstream . In fact a preliminary analysis of the elections results show a high correlation of the scheme success and the electoral dividends reaped by the incumbent . In fact at states , where the Congress gained was , the support wave was mainly directed as a token of angst for its tardy implementation.
• LK Advani Vs Manmohan : In the battle of titans, it was Manmohan who won handsomely from the electorates . May be the baggage of the past was too much for Mr. Advani , despite having one of the best credentials for the top job , to shackle the voters inclination .
• Inertia : The problem with Indian electorates or the Opposition parties is that they do not believe in creating public. On issues of concern , haranguing rather than debating is the medium of transgressing information . And Indian youth especially living in the urban landscape , just does not want to get himself deeply embroiled to get to the root cause . In that case , status quo serves well and the incumbent gains . To throw a government , a strong undercurrent , has to be nurtured , which was a grand failure of the opposition despite so much pressing and failures on governance and implementation .
• Polarisation : The anti minority polarisation was led by the cunning Mr. Naveen Patnaik , abetted by media by repeatedly snaring up Godhra , and the final cross of the albatross was Mr Varun Gandhi vilification of the Muslims . With regional parties failing to provide a viable alternative , the vote that anyways would have never come to BJP , consolidated to Congress .
• Youth (Rahul and Priyanka's Appeal ) : The Gandhi clan once again succeeded in prevaricating its youth focus while BJP , despite brimming with intelligentsia drawn from IIT amd IIM's like Sudheendra Kulkarni , struck an election campaign devoid of age , sex appeal to woo the youths. I am pretty sure most of the women and majority of men would have been floored by dapper looking Rahul and equally if not pretty Priyanka . The kind of united face presented to the volleys of questions raised , and the rebuttal from all corners , put BJP in a spot .
• Media : A cursory look at the media brings to light the inherent media bias for anti BJP . It only reinforced in the course of election with too much praise on qualities like honesty when it cannot be a selection criteria for a PM . steering the economy in the times of most difficulties .
• Extreme of Centre : BJP's constant harping of ideological and terror issues failed to strike a chord with the voters looking for more tangible promises at least on the face of it . BJP will now have to do a lot of introspection that despite being the natural party of governance , it failed to carry the message to the voters . Also the election slogan of BJP , failed to strike a chord with the rural brethren , who still are struggling to make both ends meet. A more simple , inclusive , policy oriented slogan would have been more voter acceptable .
• Price Rise , Still not Wise : Why was not price rise an issue . It was for the taking , it could have resonated with the masses , who have taken a beating on account of unprecedented surge in prices of essential items .
• Incumbency Gains : Schemes like Loan Waiver , Pay Commision also hepled the Congress the tweak the anti incumbency at the cost of fiscal discipline , which culminates in the amendment of FRBM .

Now that the fort has been lost , the Dream shattered , is it the end of bipolarity in Indian National politics . Will BJP now come under severe infighting and Congress reap the benefits of Incumbency .

The answer is

Short Term : Yes

Long Term : No.

To answer the second , BJP still is the most viable alternative . It has to groom its second run leadership , turn soft on core ideological issues , propagate the right wing ideas intermingled with the best drawn from left , give due weightage to grass root work as source of mobilizing public opinion .

On the positive side , the states where it is incumbent are hot spots of action. Every state needs to be converted ob Gujrat model as source of Good Governance .

And now that the Congress , has been entrusted with the mandate , it will be sooner rather than later when crushing impact of the failed , populist monetary policies coupled with failing revenues on account of economic slowdown starts eating into it.

What seeds of Fiscal mismanagement , they have ploughed , they shall now start bearing thorns and will pinch them like anything . Now that the Congress strategy of making Manmohan a night watchman for 2014 , will start crumbling , the new power equations , with appeals from the PM to have Rahul in the cabinet being displayed through public media , will become more glaring and hopefully more intolerable , for BJP to leverage it .

It will be an opportunity that should not need an invitation to be grabbed . And for the time being , it is best to lie low and set the house in Order .

Elections 2009 : A Curtain Raiser

The most celebrated festival of democracy is drawing to a close . It was a phenomenal event considering the span and the depth of coverage , the magnitude of the cycle and the stakes that were at stake to salvage and for others tarnish their reputation .

And now that the curtains have drawn , I will miss the excitement severely . Tough there is every likelihood of wait for the next elections being in months only a few rather than 5 yrs as stipulated .

In this election new interesting facts and happenings took shape that were to say the least intriguing . Elections I believe are the reflection of society we are currently in , as well as they have a big influence in shaping the views and ideas that we nurture to shape the future . In effect , I will like to do complete recap of the events preceeding elections 2009 .

• The just concluded state elections , where the scoreline drew at 3-2 , in favour of congress , set the tone of the things that were to come by . The people of India by and large had shown their support for the incumbent , and the Indian media as always gauging the pulse from a sample suffering from selection bias , extrapolated to declare Congress led UPA , the winner . Theories were formulated by the journalists planted in the media by the Congress , to do reverse engineering , taking refuge in bogus words like Secularism , Gandhi Dynasty , Manmohan Singh's Honesty to sail them through . Even the most wishful thinkers could have hardly imagined to market NREGS , an utter administrative failure as a success , but Marketer and Money power even made that remote possibility look dangerously realistic .


• Mr. Rahul Gandhi and his ilk , as usual were the cynosure of eyes of the media . With prince charming , and his utterly butterly sister , giving media bytes , it was a delight to listen and watch the two in action . In fact all those proponents of Nature Vs Nurture debate must have shifted to the side of nurture seeing the meteoric rise of Rahul Gandhi , from his days of incipiency as a politician .


• Mr. L . K . Advani , showed that despite age , his mental alertness and his sharpness was still unbeatable . He has set a new standard for younsters that age is just a matter of mind rather than of biology . In fact at many fronts his team of bright and enterprising web content managers unleashed a promotional campaign that besides being informative set the tone for probing discurssive debates . It also led into the oblivion , the erstwhile master of divisive politics Mr Lalu and Mulayam . Unable to cope with the changing times , they were pushed on the backfoot.


• Another limelight stealer was Varun Gandhi , who bought to fore the vengeance afflicted Mayawati and his mean administration. It also made Indians feel insecure that in a country like India, calling for the protection .

• The election results debunk the theory that sops in an election year do not work. The largesse that was showered on farmers , aam aadmi at the cost of fiscal prudence has paid a return on capital , that can even put to shame the smartest , meanest bankers now defunct at Wall Street.

• The theory of some faint correlation between public angst , media coverage , performance when in power and the election outcome , has become inexplicably contrived with each factor , outdoing the other in making the things comples like never before.

Mothers Day

It is one of the most enduring relationships that has finally become a prey to the commercial exploiters . Every now and then , newspapers are awash with doting children eulogising their parents for the virtues they have imbibed in them from parenting. The things have come to such a passe that it has become ridiculous , overtly over expressive , exaggerated and aggrandized .

It has struck me why only mothers who are in the business of glam world always highlighted as success . Is it because they make an appealing read for one and all . Why not the poorest of woman , a destitude who is struggling to make both ends meet not higlighted , not as success story but as the horrors of motherhood , the pain and the agony when one is not able to give to their child what by Law of Nature bound to be their destiny ,Care and Nurture .

Every individual , is a success in his own right . Assigning success to only those who are wealthy , is doing injustice to the concept of affection that ought not be measured in terms of success but the journey and the overcoming of great hindrances .

Mothers Day , was celebrated with all the fanfare just the preceeding week . All those mothers , exemplified as page 3 phenomenon , were the ones who hogged the limelight . It sounded so funny to hear them preach the virtues of love , affection when they themselves have outsourced it to nannies , manning their wards . As a mother , when one is staying away from the child , the child is being done an irreparable damage. Even a young toddler , incipent in his cognitive skills , is accustomed to get impatient when the mothers , always maketed as a go getter in the corporate world , should be heading for home .He is missing the warmth , the concern , the empathy , the tender love being showered by his only soulmate , leaving a deficit that is irrevocable.

All these manufactured , concocted stories of mothers playing dual role to the perfect are sources of great discomfort to the ones who are actually the brunt of working woman . For them it is a guilt that they are not able to match their peers with a finesse .

I think the concept of super human beings is just a concocted piece of work . Humans have to have their shares of failures , their agonies.

How to Increase Voters Turnout !

In India , the Festival of Democracy , the Celebration of Empowerment , the Election is no longer a mass event . It is left to the confines of MBA Prospects struggling to find jobs to come and vote en mass in the hope that the new government will initiate development works to kick start the economy , the Government Employees looking for the best deal on offer for wage revision from the plethora of manifesto promises , and the omnipresent Aam Aadmi .

The young Turks of the country are however laggards when it comes to polling , for the heat is too much for the cloistered brats to undertake the herculean task of voting . However , with some liberal EC directives , the polling process can be made more interesting , more involving and more participative .

I suggest a list of initiatives for the same :

• Make the entry a Couple Entry . However for Stags , some strong incentives in the form of exciting offers on Bharat Matrimonials can be offered to lure them .
• Allow DJ's to set up stands , to attract the crowds and keep them entertained .
• Screen all the Slug fest that transpired during the campaigns , selecting the choicest of the invectives to see to it that the voters can connect with their electorates .
• Instead of a an indelible mark on the middle finger , some exciting offers such as Tattoos on the most seductive part of the body should be introduced . It will in effect promote the local craftsmen and their waning ilks .
• Offer lucky draws in the form of Tax concessions , filming of election sloganeering films , and a vow to promote it on Doordashan (Let DD finally do some national service) .
• The mall crazy GenNext can e lured by the offers of attractive discounts on presenting the mark of Baptism . Shoppers that might be included to en cash on the craze can be Sun Cream Manufacturers (For Men and Women, who ventured out in the blazing sun , would like to have the damage to their glowing skin undone ) , Trendy Umbrella Designers for that archaic protection from the sun , Trendy and Hip Hops Sun Glasses looking to flaunt it at the polling booth .
• Election Commission can commission celebrities as Brand Ambassadors , for promoting election as means of empowerment.
• In fact some schools have come up with a novel idea of Grace Marks for the child , who makes sure both his parents make their presence felt at the polling booth .
• In fact attendance at polling booth can be marketed as lesson where we are ahead technologically , by the extensive usage of EVM , when the World's superpower still adheres to ballot papers .
• Showing up at election booth can be a great way to learn how diversity , empowermnt , celebration of emancipation especially of the long suppressed and still disciminated has come a long way from the days of Raj .
• On the election it should become the duty of the pretty looking damsels , and heart stopper beauties , to flock the polling booth in the most glaring , gaudy style quotient for that will keep the men , young and old , interested for a visit to the polling booth .

Show Your Middle Finger !

It is the season of Middle Finger . It is being shown by anyone to anyone with reputation of either party a matter of least consideration . Lets recapitulate who all have been leading the charge .

• Mr. Obama showed his Middle Finger to proponents of Free Trade with the removal of Double Taxation Avoidance Tax Treaty . His Middle Finger will punch a deep hole in the money minting Indian Outsourcing industry .
• In IPL , Kolkata Knight Riders , expressed their solidarity to the cause of Middle Finger , by losing a streak of matches , much to the pain in the ass of KKR , owner Shah Rukh Khan .
• Bachhan and his extended family (excluding Amar Singh) , were found posing their Middle Finger to the shutterbugs , waiting anxiously for India's biggest brand to become the face saver when on the same day , the whole of Mumbai showed their Middle Finger to the much touted , over hyped , Save India from Indian Politicians Campaign . Mumbai voted a dismal low of 42 % , even beating Dada with a string of low than lower scores.
• Dhoni and Harbhajan , showed their Middle Finger to the Sports Awards by not attending them . Mr Dhoni went a step ahead , he dangled his Middle Finger , pointedly towards Mr Bacchhan , by not responding to his greetings on Mr Dhoni's felicitation by the Government
• Tech Mahindra , under the steward ship of Mr. Anand Mahindra , showed their big , erect , pointed Middle Finger to the suitors , lining up for ceremonial marriage with erstwhile Jhootham , but now Satyam .
• The economy was not left behind far either . It slapped a face on the Optimists , who still believe the World Economy will go down further , taking the cause of Pessimists , who felt it cannot go worse further .
• In Political arena , it is Middle Finger all around . Mr. Naveen Patnaik , staring his Middle Finger to BJP , the electorates of Bihar , supposedly as per exit surveys , will be showing their middle finger to Lalu and his ilk , Mr. Rahul Gandhi showed his Middle Finger to all his allies in one go by his "From the Heart" press conference , Mr. Pawar Prime Ministerial aspirations were shown the Middle Finger , and Kasab's antique to depict himself as a Juvenile was shown the Middle Finger by the court .

Now that the Middle Finger Bug is all around , even we should express solidarity with their cause . We the Indians now under oath , should show up ass on the Polling Day , at the nearest election Booth , so that when time comes for the shutterbugs to press the flash , even we can , with that dumb celebrity like ever gleaming , encapsulating all the excitement , visible post baptism , can too show

Our Big Middle Finger

Cast Your Vote , Not Vote Your Caste .

MBA :Retrospection

As an MBA in the making , these are the times of real pain. With dreams in our , we had entered the hallowed portals of India's premier B Schools , of making a mark , of marking our money . And so far the journey has bee disappointing . It might sound on the hinge of pessimism , but the matter of the fact is this recession has taken its toll .

Education as a medium financial emancipation is over hyped especially in the Indian context , where the economy is struggling to be on the extreme of centre . On one hand education imbibes in us virtues of ethics , social well being , on the other hand the vagaries of business compel us to throw all our limitations to the cemetery , deeply buried .

MBA education is not about knowledge , it about skills , of people management , of networking , of Quid Pro Quo , of being counted one amongst them in the group , of not letting your cards open and yet baring from others , of stabbing in the back , of leading and laying people , of using gender as a means to promote business interest , of taking apolitical stand on issues , of having myopic view of the benefits , of letting society come later before the self .

But I have learned another aspect of the education , and that is all the above mentioned traits are proper pieces of shit . MBA education is knowledge based , however it is a different matter altogether that we hardly invest time and effort as well as the mental faculties to come to terms with the subjects being delivered . Everything is let pass under the garb of being too frivolous , too menial without any technical challenge to the cognitive brain . But these are mere excuses. What is actually happening is that the exact impact is not being established , it is being by passed . In business even the slightest of information can be path breaking if it is analyzed in its totality . It can drive organizations to strategically shift their business goals ,alter their mission statement .

We need to develop that skill , that bloody aptitude to look through things , drive the change and all along use information to our advantage by applying the fraudster skills of regression to infer pre determined conclusions.

Regression modelling , one of the most dreaded subjects on MBA curriculum , are an aid of giving objective proof to what is supposed to be subjective . It is a potent weapon that with all its might can be flexed to an extent that despite spiralling prices , deflationary fears among policy makers become a pain in the ass.