Inspired... again

Today, I stumbled across this video after so long and the small kid in the video made my eyes wet once more. More than that, I am inspired again and feeling all reinvigorated for my fight against systemic rot at IIMA (and beyond).

A little detail - About four months ago, as a result of complaining against dirty drinking water at IIMA, I was asked to head the committee for drinking water reforms. Working with IIMA administration up close, I realized why in our first year, a professor had said in class that this is "Indian Institute of Mismanagement". The institute may definitely be world class but the administration is typically 'sarkari' (read corrupt, political, and inefficient).

After doing some surprise checks on water plant, talking to some more informed people, doing a lot of unpaid consultancy, and preparing long minutes and reports, the whole thing was sidelined. The new system should have been in place on May 29, 2009 (i.e. - 2 days before the preparatory programme begins) but thanks to bureaucracy, not only the old system continued but also the 'bad' vendor was extended host of other benefits too. And in the process, all I got was hostility and bad behavior from the administration.

I was disgusted and dismayed. In fact, I had given up on the system - I have enough of academic load to keep me on toes. And for the past few days, I was in a dilemma of holding the baton or letting it go. However, now I've decided again to lead the fight against this system. After all, the society suffers less from wickedness of wicked and more from idleness of good. I hope to make some change, even if a small one and I believe it is high time to do so - to retain my faith in all that we hold good.

Why I love the IIM of A

After spending four years at IIMA, as the time to leave is approaching, I progressively feel like not leaving the place. The reason?? Well, it is not the magnificent buildings listed on world's greatest buildings or the huge campus that is full of birds, greenery and scenery. A lot of other places have great buildings and greater landscapes.

The faculty is great indeed - one professor was on sixth pay commission, another on the Sachar committee, one was the member of industrial commission, two of them have a testimony from the Nobel prize winner team for their work on climate change, and the list of great ones is too long. But the reason for my love is not even such distinguished faculty. Even the opportunity to meet and listen to many luminaries, including Soli Sorabjee, Harsha Bhogle, Arun Myra, Pt. Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Sunil Bharti Mittal, and Arun Shourie doesn't bind me so close to the place. Its definitely not the IIMA administration, which is typical babudom - inefficient, corrupt, and rude. Even the city and its weather are rather unlikable. However, I still don't want to leave the IIMA.

In fact, few days ago, I re-realized why I love the place and why I am going to miss the days spent here. Perhaps that is the same reason that makes IIMA one of the best institutions in India. I love the place for the peer environment I got here - And which is not the case with most of the campuses in India. IITs may be a close exception but their size is so big that close interactions are often not that easy.

For the past few days, I've been getting stimulating, intriguing, and pretty idiosyncratic ideas from some of my batch-mates on the subjects ranging from ethnic conflicts, politics, civilization, human evolution, religion, and sociology. Likewise, I had a four-day long and academic discussion with some on the quran and islam related matters. Debates on politics, capitalism, socialism, budget, and government policies have always been intense, long, and diverse - be it the classrooms or the virtual notice-boards of D-Babble. More than that, there were always people around to talk and teach about technology, science, economics, politics, history, and culture.

Interestingly, I got not only wonderful academic discussions with seniors, juniors, and batch-mates alike, there have been gems on a range of arts as well. For one, those long discussions on Ghalib and Gulzar with some in my section and once, I even had a wonderful listener to all my poetry. I had some lessons on Sikhism from one of my dormmates and on islam from a junior. There were plenty of them who tested their musical sense on me and tried putting some tune into my larynx (however, all failed drastically and I am as out of sync as always).

When I bought an electronic cooker, I had a wonderful friend to experiment with me and teach me the fundamentals of cooking afresh. Some friends taught me to play with my new camera and one even happily posed for it many a times. And this is not it - I got access to an enormous repository of movies of all genres and languages and ages, all sorts of technology and finance whiz kids around (who still sound like gibberish), sports freaks, toughest quiz masters, journalists, military men, and even a few lawyers... all in one package of IIMA.

Now tell me, who would want to leave such a campus with all the blessings of genius colleagues, so many memories all around, and so much more still left to explore in life...!!!

And another batch...

It's again that time of the year... a fresh batch is arriving at IIMA to begin their two year journey. Soon the campus will be all full with people and along with them, chanting of cases facts, cribs, and dreams. Although this batch is coming at the time of recession and yet, paying the highest fee charged till date; the batch is held special due to one single reason - about 1/5th members are from the fairer sex, a new record for IIMA.

But some things never change... Today I saw a fresher girl and her mother roaming around the campus and peeping inside mess, trying not to step into anywhere wrong. Yesterday, there was a group of parents, reading every display in the 132 feet gallery in the underpass.

I found it really interesting and moving to see parents coming with their 'small' children, taking a tour around the campus and gaping at the architectural wonders, 'fachchas' discovering the campus, finding places, forgetting ways, entering library in awe, asking for tips from seniors, and quizzing about the places to see in and around the campus. Well... here are my best wishes to the last batch I'd be seeing as a student

"You're not entitled to a smooth meal" Day

Well.... Today was like this only... When I sat for my morning tea with an episode of F.R.I.E.N.D.S., there was a knock on my door for match-box. Then during Dibbi's thesis seminar, the snack guy completely forgot me and kept passing snacks and tea to everyone around but me. Thankfully, the seminar was too good to keep my attention off my rattling and gurgling stomach.

But the funniest one was when I ran to the mess after the seminar for a coleslaw sandwich and grabbed a plateful of those. As I left the plate on the table to get a cuppa and returned, my plate was GONE, without leaving a trace of a crumb behind . All I could see was two junior FPMs and another fachchi munching some sandwiches, completely oblivious to a hungry, surprised, and confused me. However, to rescue the poor (and hungry) soul, one of the junior FPMs, who obviously was observing the whole scene, informed the busy-bee sandwich munching fachchi - "haven't you taken his plate!"

Yeah, the first term at WIMWI really gives people some out of body, soul, and mind experiences. And this was one of those for the poor acads-tormented fachchi. She sat there, embarrassed, staring at the half-eaten sandwich and at me by turns; and I stood there, first utterly confused and then, smiling, with efforts to control a burst of laughter.

Finally, the wisdom dawned on us and she offered me my plate back, with a half eaten sandwich and I ran for another platter, with murmurs of ohhh, it's fine!!! As I sat opposite to her with a platter and a glass full of tea, both of us kept smiling at the whole incident. After 15 minutes of embarrassment, she sheepishly apologized and left for another session of muggai; and I stood up for another round of munching.

One, Two, Three, and Counting....

It's been three years since we came to join IIMA. I landed here on a hot Saturday afternoon of May 28, 2005. For one month, we had much fun and enjoyment in encountering so many new things at once. Those were the days of preparatory program - days of least work load possible at IIMA.

Soon after, the dream run was replaced by the first term. Although, in retrospect, even the first term is worth missing - those new friends, new campus, unknown knowledge frontiers, new understanding of known subjects, amazing professors, sleepless times, surprise quizzes, and never ending cases and readings. In between, we still managed some weekend parties, small outings, or just sitting around LKP and discussing nothing with the gravity of most intense thoughts. All of us were so busy in studies that we never got the time to realize how time is flying by.

First year ended, more or less, like this only - without giving us much time for stopping and thinking. And despite all the loads, grades, and frustrations, everything was great. I was growing beyond my imagination - not only mentally but also physically - mess food was too rich to digest by sitting on the study-table only. Nonetheless, the first year was over and to my surprise, I was still here. I always thought that I'm never going to make it through the first year. I had secretly decided that I will not leave IIMA by my own and let the authority kick me out. Fortunately that didn't happen even during the second year.

In second year, we had our area specific courses. In some of the FPM classes, there were barely 3-4 students. When the life got easier for our PGP batch-mates, it got much harder for most of the FPMs. Not only the workload was more, even the quality expected increased and evaluation became more intense. There were the days when I wished for a 50 hours day. Class duration was normally 2.5 to 3 hours and some days had 2-3 of them. With almost 6-8 hours of preparation for every class, my demand of 50 hours a day was not totally unjustified.

The real nightmarish time came with the fifth term, which faded the whole of the first year. I had max credit-load thus far and some courses were too critical and too time-consuming for me. I reminded myself of my old commitment - don't leave, let them kick you out. But like every good (and bad) thing, even the second year came to an end. What seemed like a relief was actually an even bigger headache - the Comprehensive Qualifier Exam or the CQE, which marks the end of the course-work. We had to qualify the CQE to begin our much awaited thesis work. It took us two months of intense preparation and three months of waiting for the result to know that we have successfully completed the course-work and now can proceed to even more hectic part of the program.

I was lucky enough, unlike most of my batch-mates, to find a guide ready with a thesis topic and willingness to work with me. So, for the first time, I was involved in what might be called as some serious research. The wisdom dawned soon - research needs much more than abilities. It needs loads of persistence, self-motivation, and a very high frustration-bearing capacity. I had given my Thesis Proposal Seminar on April 16, 2008 and before that, had earned some papers to my CV. Now I am trying to build a model and collect primary and secondary data, with the hope of being lucky with consistent and valid results.

This is pretty much the story of my academic journey of past three years at IIMA. I have at least one more year to go before I complete my thesis and I wish to complete it within that time. But there is a part of me that wishes to stay here forever, for these are the days that I am going to miss in the years to come. And no matter where I go or what I do, there will be a part of me that will stay here - forever - for this is the place, which has written one of the most beautiful chapters of my life....

झरने लगे नीम के पत्ते

Very soon, another batch will be convocating from IIMA. It is yet another farewell season here and Senti NB is up and running again. I was a little sad last year, when my batch-mates were leaving to chase their dreams - I was going to be an almost stranger in my own place very soon. But this year, I was very much sure of not feeling anything - after all, I have very few acquaintances among my junior batch and friends - none. Yet there is a bothering about this parting too.

And this parting will be followed by long days, dense nights, and lonesome times. Summers, for the past two years at IIMA, has been like this, with hardly few people on campus and fewer around. Perhaps this is going to be the norm of my life for at least two more years till I complete my thesis and bid adieu to the beloved IIMA. For the time being, I am going to be sad, nostalgic, and joyous for the friends and foes as they fly from here to horizons. May be, I'll also leave someday just like this; however, till then, as the leaves fall, let's celebrate the parting and sadness, dreams and joys, and summers and loneliness...

झरने लगे नीम के पत्ते
बढ़ने लगी उदासी मन की|

P.S. - The above picture is taken from Perspectives NB, where it was posted by Amit Patel of IIMA.