I was trying to hire an auto-rickshaw to an unfrequented place – almost ten rickshaws refused to travel to that place before one agreed. Amused, I asked the driver why he agreed, the answer he gave set me thinking. “Sir, most autowalahs only keep running in a particular direction. They run away from home in the morning, as the day progresses they change their direction towards home. But what each one of them forget is that, our job is to ferry passengers – to travel in a direction which they desire; not to pursue our own agenda. I am ferrying you to the place you want to go now, I will earn my bread by the money you pay – then even if I have to ferry back empty to my home – it will still turn out to be a small profit; never a loss. On the other hand the other rickshaws which refused you will probably have to ferry all the way to their home empty – not earning any fare and burning his fuel anyhow. Very few auto drivers realize this.” There was a lesson for all leaders in the above

Today's Hindustan Times Op-ed has an article by Sujata Anandan around Vidarbha farmer suicides etc. It throws light on how misuse of credit by people compounds the situation created by poor rains and lack of proper irrigation. I quote: My sister spotted a vegetable vendor at the local market who had been defaulting in payment for months. When she swooped on her, the lady brazenly told my sister she had taken the loan not to buy a stall, as stated in her application, but to marry off her daughter. " Mera kaam ho gaya. Muzhe ab zaroorat nahin . (My purpose has been served. I do not need you now)," she said. Most of the money borrowed by farmers goes not into seeds or crop but into paying off their debts to moneylenders, the dowries of daughters or gambling dues... Moneylenders were big business in Andhra Pradesh's villages, too, but then the state government came up with a scheme to settle with those bloodsuckers and banned their return to the villages. Suicide rates

Yesterday evening around 5.45 PM, our department secretary asked everyone in office to assemble for birthday celebrations of a colleague. I was in the middle of something and so was in two-minds whether to join or not. After some seconds of haggling in my own mind, I decided not to go. So with everyone at the celebrations, I was sitting all alone at my desk - feeling hungry I went to the pantry to get some grub. There were no wafers or biscuits left - so reluctantly I got some coffee and came back. And then it happened!! My cellphone rang. In a hurry to pick it up, I spilled the coffee on the table! I immediately moved my laptop aside and ran to collect tissues; but by the time I came back the coffee had spread further and had touched the edges of my laptop. While I was wiping the coffee off the table, my laptop went off, never to start again! Being the end of the day, IT dept could not help me - a replacement could be arranged only today evening. Lesson learnt- a decision made in a sp

IEB has put up two posts [ 1 ] [ 2 ] on increasing divide between the rural and the urban. My own interpretation of it is of the divide between informed and uninformed - either way, there is no denying to the fact that there exists a gap which is further widening with the influx of technology and development. Many a times we debate as to how to reduce the gap, the whole system of communism is based on reducing the inequalities in the society. However, time and again it has been proved that inequalities are bound to occur; a fallout of Darwinism - they can only be reduced but cannot be eliminated. In fact, as the failure of communist system has shown - any attempt to eliminate inequalities leads to lack of motivation in individuals to compete and succeed - thus leading to stagnation of the society at large. Yet, if socialism exists -what does it mean? I interpret socialism as a just system where every human being is guaranteed basic rights and comforts. A socialist society will have in

IEB has a classic post based on Game Theory - explaining how expectations affect results... some quotes: We behave to a large extent on how others expect us to behave. People expect trash on the streets in India. That is they expect others to throw trash. That expectation allows them to feel free to add their own (small amount of) trash. Aggregated over many people over an extended period of time, the trash accumulates as the expectation itself gets reinforced. Eventually you have Singapores and Mumbais. I had once written similarly , though from a different perspective. But the essence was the same - you are what you believe to be - so the essence to success is to raise your mental bar first!

Update: As a fellow blogger Bhopal-e pointed out, I missed the Bhopal buses (literally too, I haven't yet travelled in them). The Star Buses had been introduced in Bhopal before they were introduced in Mumbai. Also, the multicolored (all Web 2.0 colors used!) buses of Bhopal look much better than the mono-colored BEST star buses in Mumbai. Original Post I am in Bhopal - my hometown .. a lot is changing here and this time around the major changes that struck me were: 1. Radio In the past 3 months, Bhopal grew from being a single Radio channel town (FM Vivid Bharti) to a 4 FM Channel town. BIG FM (92.7), My FM (94.3) and Radio Mirchi (98.3) are already here - thats just one channel less than Mumbai! 104 Fever - where are you??? ;-) 2. Roadside Beauty Before you start getting ideas - I am talking about the beautification of road dividers and footpaths. Run along the road from MP Nagar (Ambedkar/ Board Office चौराहा) to New Market / TT Nagar - the dividers and the footpaths have bee

Shubham has posted a philosophical musing titled " Living with purpose ". I myself have reflected on this topic earlier [ 1 ][ 2 ]. However, a very related question is 'What makes you Happy?'. I have pondered peripherally albeit in a different context on this one as well [ 3 ]. At this stage of life where most of my friends are getting settled in life - I am confused. On one side are the tall dreams and ambitions set in childhood and adolescence, on the other are practical aspirations which arise more out of peer interactions than individual thought and on the third side are expectations others have from you. Looking back, till now I have mostly done what pleased my heart whether it was in school, college or MBA. Even in my job I have been fortunate to have got interesting opportunities (though not always :-P). But will following the same path keep me happy - what of expectations of loved ones are not fulfilled? They won't be happy then - in turn I would not be ha

New Yorker writes: In terms of how we evaluate schooling, everything is about working by yourself. If you work with someone else, it's called cheating. Once you get out in the real world, everything you do involves working with other people. .... Studies show that there is very little correlation between how someone's peers rate him and how his boss rates him Read the complete story [ The Talent Myth ]

One of the biggest motivations which drives people towards achieving perfection in work is the (actual or illusionary) realization of the importance of their work. All other factors are merely hygienic - money, designation, working conditions - all merely ensure that one is motivated to perform 'good enough'. However, in absence of the 'work worth realization' (lets call it WWR from now on) - the extra bit of dedication is hard to come by. The best illustration of this would be in the Army. Irrespective of the designation or salary everyone - from the highest ranked officers to the foot soldier - is dedicated to the extent of his/her lives. What motivation can there be to give one's life for, if not the fact that the job is more important than your life, that winning the war is infinitely more important than the salary or benefits you will accrue as a part of your job (if you would live on!). Similarly, have you ever come across a sweeper who makes sure that not eve

[Via: Emergic ] Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men's blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans ; aim high in hope and work , remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will never die, but long after we are gone will be a living thing, asserting itself with ever-growing insistency. Remember that our sons and grandsons are going to do things that would stagger us. Let your watchword be order and your beacon beauty. Think big! - Daniel Burnham (1846 – 1912)

I am confused! When we were kids - the sentiment used to be high against Brain Drain - young talented students migrating to the US for studies and then work. But today, after the government and 'thinkers' realize the amount of benefits that accrue from the Diaspora - the situation has changed .. we are simply calling it a form of 'Globalization' On the other hand, the country which held the 'Globalization' flag high in the 70s and 80s - the US - is today faced with protests like this . The fight though is not so more on the streets than on the cyber'streets. Yes, anti-immigrant sites in the US are now using Google Bombing in an effort to combat the job-drain problem. Truthfully, I am on neither side of the debate. In my opinion, where you live, how you live, what kind of jobs you do should depend on your own likes and dislikes (aren't there several Indian who are today choosing to stay in India than migrate?) on your talent and its value in the market (

India is a true melting pot - and the language we speak are true representations of the same. In any given location, the way people speak (the dialect, the accent and vocabulary inclusive) is a wonderful mix of local, regional, national and even a bit of international influences. To take some examples: Bangalore lingo: "Enjoy Madi!" Mumbai lingo: "Its all over Akhha Mumbai yaar" Some International sprinkled in: "Dude! Hows life yaar?" All in all - India has been pretty successful in integrating its regional disparities with nationally pervasive trends and a bit of International lingo as well (thanks to its diaspora). The same has happened in terms of the numeral terminologies that we use. In India - even with the English media, we use terms like a 'lakh' (= hundred thousand) or a 'crore' (= ten million). But what is surprising is that beyond these, the media usually follows the international numeric term - billion. This is in spite of th

Every fortnight, a new Comic Strip is sent to the members of the Arbit Choudhury Yahoo Group .We also try and make the e-mail (which goes along) informative and interesting, while also updating fans with the latest milestones achieved by the venture. This fortnight we were announcing about Arbit Choudhury Comics hitting the 75th Comic Strip mark. So, one of us suggested using the term 'Diamond Jubilee' for the same. Somehow, I remembered that 75 is associated with Platinum and not Diamond - so I went to Google/ Wikipedia and did some research only to discover the confusing world of 'Jubilees'. I first discovered that Diamond Jubilee is associated with 60 years by the British standards. So, I checked if using 'Platinum' would be correct to discover further that 'Platinum Jubilee' is associated with 70 years by British usage and with 75 years by South Asian (Read: Indian) usage. However to add to the twist on Jubilees, in the US "Diamond Jubilee"

Just back from Delhi after attending the wedding of two of my closest friends - M &A - to each other! As Shubham put it quite aptly on our way back from Chandigarh to Delhi – "Hamare jeevan ka ek aur parv sampann hua" ! Indeed, this wedding actually marks a ceremonial moment - not just for the couple - but for our whole group of friends, in the gradual transformation we all are going through. [In NITIE, we had christened our gang as G-7 (actually a gang of 8 – a counting mistake while choosing the Yahoo Groups identity of the group created this name!). Among G-7 – only I, Shubham and Sabyasachi now remain the un-married and/or un-committed ones!] Today, as I was returning through Saki Naka towards my home, a sudden feeling of nostalgia gripped me and left me wondering as to what the nostalgia was all about? These two friends of mine just got married, but they are not going anywhere, they are still going to be around! Then what was the nostalgia about? I guess deep inside

Ye Office hai ya Lok sabha? On resuming work in Indian Offices, after a stint in the West, the most significant difference that you notice in the office milieu is the sheer abundance of people – a testimony to India’s population. In the UK, offices – especially corridors, lounges and hallways are mostly empty. However in India there are all kinds of people standing in these alleys – cleaners, security guards, receptionists etc. Many times a single reception desk is manned by two receptionists; there are separate cleaners to wipe doors and clean toilets, the lift has a 'lift-man' just to press the buttons and sometimes even the water filter is manned by a peon!! Clear the roads - of garbage, vehicles .... and people I was sitting on the window of a BEST bus travelling to office at around 9 AM when suddenly I had an urge to play some mind games with myself. I closed my eyes and imagined the scene if Mumbai roads* were to become like roads in London. The conversion made by my mind

Excerpt from the book: Machine Beauty: Elegance and the Heart of Technology [ italics mine ]: Gelernter suggests that the dichotomy between art/beauty and science/technology has led to inadequate academic training of computer-science students. He points out that the greatest minds in science and industry have always pursued beauty . ‘Machine beauty is the driving force behind technology and science,’ he says, and yet ‘beauty bothers us.’ Somehow it’s perceived to be softer and less rigorous to train computer scientists in art, music, architecture, and design. However, Gelernter sees these disciplines as closely aligned with the mathematics and science that are the foundation of technology. Because of this lack of aesthetic education, much user interface has been poorly designed. I had written similarly but from a different perspective in my post: In Romance with Mathematics ...

There are two kinds of people who are successful in the industry …. The first who have great talent The other who have great contacts .... and they both need each other... however the rarest of most respected are those who have both. For me the biggest difference in the transition from Academics to Professional circles has been the realization that meritocracy is not an absolute law. While in schools and colleges too, there would be some difference between different students due to their upbringing, but ultimately it was meritocracy which ruled. There are always students who do not have proper guidance at home or resources to make it to the ivy league, but unless the disparity is huge (like a slum child vs. rich brat), the meritorious always end up with a better career, even though the amount of hard work put in might be a little more for the unprivileged. Probably this is the true testimony of the Indian educational system where higher education is within reach of middle class. With f

Nowadays the whole society is taken over by the same antics which earlier were limited to celebrities. Whether it is people dancing on the street or public booing the ‘Nach Baliye’ dancers in the TV show – all the emotions, actions, sounds and gestures are cosmetic. One feels the artificiality overwhelming on occasions like the New Year’s. I am not against people going to parties or discs on the New Year’s Eve (even though I myself don’t have a preference for that). But what I find objectionable is the some people partaking such activities not because they enjoy them, but just out of peer pressure – the very next day they would end up sick, tired (and not having enjoyed themselves) sullen, sometimes even backbiting about how dull the party was or how awful the dinner was. It is even more troublesome when they choose you as the agony aunt. I am the last person who could have any solution to these problems. But, the most frustrating part is that they do not even expect you to suggest any

"Tum bahot lucky ho Roy, sabko pata hota hai ki zindagi ke kitne din ho gaye; par kitne din baaki hain ye kisiko nahi pata hota. Tumhe pata hai!" BluffMaster Indeed in life the toughest decisions involve, not, when to leap - but when to let go. When to let go a habit, when to let go a job, when to let go a shirt that you like to wear? Often the confusion gets multiplied because of emotion - the 'how to let go' aspect. Yet even for those who can keep emotions aside - the cardinal questions are ... is it too early? Am I yet to learn the trade? Should I give it some more time? Is the market ready yet? Am I ready yet? Will I get an investor at this stage? Can I afford to give up a steady income? And when the context is stripped off, all these questions reduce to the same dilemma - 'When to let go?' Indeed if you knew when you will die, you could plan backwards and know exactly when to let go - "Tum bahot lucky ho Roy - bahot lucky! Ab ye tumhare haath mein ha

Eric Schmidt writes in Don't bet against the internet : "The lesson is compelling: put simple, intuitive technology in the hands of users and they will create content and share it. The fastest-growing parts of the internet all involve direct human interaction. Think about the blogging phenomenon and social networking sites like MySpace in America, Bebo in Britain, Orkut in Brazil, CyWorld in Korea and Mixi in Japan. " Do you notice something peculiar here? No mention of India ... though Orkut is as popular here as in Brazil, though we are much more populous and more 'networking friendly' ... Any guesses as to why India is getting excluded here?? I have one guess .... not enough indigenous innovation is happening in India. We may be kings of the BPO Services and ODC/ Offshoring ... but our report card on innovation is still pretty blank! PS: There are many start-ups in B'lore doing research in Mobile space, protocols, Bluetooth (which employ some of my friends