I have liked the English sitcom F.R.I.E.N.D.S for a long time now. I had watched a few episodes of other English sitcoms here and there (on advice of friends), but I never really liked any of them. Then came, HIMYM and the first couple of seasons were really good. But now that has started getting boring. My latest liking is The Big Bang Theory(BBT) which is into its second season currently.
There is this lead character in BBT named Sheldon, who is the ultimate geek. He thinks about all situations logically and is generally devoid of any emotions.
Currently, I am reading Sadhak Sanjivani, a religious text which explains the meaning of the various verses in Gitaji and is written by Swami Ramsukhdasji Maharaj. The clarity and thoroughness of the explanations are fascinating and inspiring.
The two things I have mentioned above seem a world apart. But interestingly, I found that at places they are basically saying the same thing.
In of the episodes, Sheldon asks another character of the sitcom, "Is your body mass somehow tied to your self worth?". This is after he has given a not-so-positive statement about the body mass of the other person which made the latter sad. Sheldon is one fact based person and somehow he feels that things like body mass should not affect the perceived self worth of a person.
Gitaji says that if a wealthy person thinks highly about himself / herself just due to the money, it is the money which is bigger than the person and there should be no such feeling. Similarly, if a beautiful person (based on appearance) thinks highly about himself / herself just because of appearances, it is the visual aspect which is bigger than the person and there should be no such feeling. I see a connect in what Sheldon is trying to imply and what Gitaji says.
Sometimes, it feels that the most logical should be synonymous with the most religious (at least in some areas), though it is always portrayed as opposites (almost in all areas).
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Personal Learning Paper
Wrote this as part of a course in the second term during my grad school
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I was just awed by the relevance of the case we did ‘Ashok Rajguru’ to my life. As soon as I read that case, the first thing I did was to express this at my blog (http://myselfspeaking.blogspot.com/2007/10/as-relevant-as-you-can-get.html). While reading, it was hard to distinguish whether I was going through what was written or whether those were my thoughts. The only major difference on a conceptual level which I found was that the protagonist does not want to share and I prefer sharing, given that I find someone to share with.
I always aim at being that person to whom everyone wants to share their sorrows with. The discussion in the class about the case led to sharing of some feelings by one of my dorm mates which I had absolutely no idea of. I realized how far I was from my objective that even someone from my dorm itself does not share with me. From that point onwards, I am trying to develop more of a personal relationship with as many as I can. I have started this by making it a point to say ‘Hi’ to any acquaintance (like section mates) who I meet in campus say, while going to the mess in the evenings.
One of the most important things that I felt about the session on Pygmalion in Management was the concept that it was important to have the best managers handling people when they join. At first, I was not able to swallow this idea. But I soon realized that this is how it should be. I have worked for a year and because my boss/manager was as good as him, I actually liked the work which I did at my company. Now that I think of it, I was skeptical about the work towards the beginning and was actually thinking of applying to other companies. But within a couple of months, with the kind of freedom and responsibility I was entrusted with, I did not pursue delving into seeking out other opportunities.
Though I have not been in many situations where I am the boss, I had worked with an intern for two weeks during my job. I involved him in a project and once the base was established, I started giving him some work. But I have this habit of giving details and so everything which he was supposed to deliver was pinpointed by me. Now I think, he may or may not have disliked that (for this was his first job and the duration was small). But, I realize that I have to be careful of this habit of mine. If I like freedom and responsibility, as I described above, I need to realize that the other person would also value that.
Before the scoring was done for the ‘Personality test’, I had categorized myself as an ‘Adapted Child’ (AC) and the result came out to be the same. It kind of enforced my point of view of myself. It also enforced the point of view of others about me (as I see it). Generally, I am on the defensive side of things and try to see why a particular thing which is happening is right. My study group calls me a ‘pro-establishment’ guy for I keep supporting things which are happening at IIMA, be it related to course work, lifestyle etc. I now feel that this comes more from the fact that I have always been told about why the things which happen are for the good. There are rituals being followed by my family and there is always a reason behind each one of them. These reasons try to emphasize the validity of the rituals and I have learnt to accept it on face value. In future, I need to be more towards the ‘Little Professor’ ego state (which by the way is lowest in my case). I believe that innovation aspect is a little deficient in my personality. I need to question things a lot more than I do it now, be it at study or organization.
Here at IIMA, there are a lot of things I need to do in my study group. The group consists of 5 people and so it becomes important to take everyone along. There have been times when a group member is going through some issue in his personal life. At that time he/she have shown some kind of indifference towards the group work. I tend to become annoyed if someone does not contribute, only to repent later when I get to know what the real issue was.
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I was just awed by the relevance of the case we did ‘Ashok Rajguru’ to my life. As soon as I read that case, the first thing I did was to express this at my blog (http://myselfspeaking.blogspot.com/2007/10/as-relevant-as-you-can-get.html). While reading, it was hard to distinguish whether I was going through what was written or whether those were my thoughts. The only major difference on a conceptual level which I found was that the protagonist does not want to share and I prefer sharing, given that I find someone to share with.
I always aim at being that person to whom everyone wants to share their sorrows with. The discussion in the class about the case led to sharing of some feelings by one of my dorm mates which I had absolutely no idea of. I realized how far I was from my objective that even someone from my dorm itself does not share with me. From that point onwards, I am trying to develop more of a personal relationship with as many as I can. I have started this by making it a point to say ‘Hi’ to any acquaintance (like section mates) who I meet in campus say, while going to the mess in the evenings.
One of the most important things that I felt about the session on Pygmalion in Management was the concept that it was important to have the best managers handling people when they join. At first, I was not able to swallow this idea. But I soon realized that this is how it should be. I have worked for a year and because my boss/manager was as good as him, I actually liked the work which I did at my company. Now that I think of it, I was skeptical about the work towards the beginning and was actually thinking of applying to other companies. But within a couple of months, with the kind of freedom and responsibility I was entrusted with, I did not pursue delving into seeking out other opportunities.
Though I have not been in many situations where I am the boss, I had worked with an intern for two weeks during my job. I involved him in a project and once the base was established, I started giving him some work. But I have this habit of giving details and so everything which he was supposed to deliver was pinpointed by me. Now I think, he may or may not have disliked that (for this was his first job and the duration was small). But, I realize that I have to be careful of this habit of mine. If I like freedom and responsibility, as I described above, I need to realize that the other person would also value that.
Before the scoring was done for the ‘Personality test’, I had categorized myself as an ‘Adapted Child’ (AC) and the result came out to be the same. It kind of enforced my point of view of myself. It also enforced the point of view of others about me (as I see it). Generally, I am on the defensive side of things and try to see why a particular thing which is happening is right. My study group calls me a ‘pro-establishment’ guy for I keep supporting things which are happening at IIMA, be it related to course work, lifestyle etc. I now feel that this comes more from the fact that I have always been told about why the things which happen are for the good. There are rituals being followed by my family and there is always a reason behind each one of them. These reasons try to emphasize the validity of the rituals and I have learnt to accept it on face value. In future, I need to be more towards the ‘Little Professor’ ego state (which by the way is lowest in my case). I believe that innovation aspect is a little deficient in my personality. I need to question things a lot more than I do it now, be it at study or organization.
Here at IIMA, there are a lot of things I need to do in my study group. The group consists of 5 people and so it becomes important to take everyone along. There have been times when a group member is going through some issue in his personal life. At that time he/she have shown some kind of indifference towards the group work. I tend to become annoyed if someone does not contribute, only to repent later when I get to know what the real issue was.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Will Indian economy emerge buoyant after the Global economic slowdown?
The question in title was answered as part of an application for a scholarship. The answer goes as below:
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The first answer that comes to my mind (and that might come to most people) is that India and its economy would definitely emerge buoyant after the Global economic slowdown. The shifting of power to the East along with expanding markets and fast paced globalization would help in this.
However, in my opinion, it is essential to understand what we mean by 'emerging buoyant'.
If we mean to say that India would be able to get back on track with the huge economic growth that it witnessed in the last decade or so, it probably would.
The reasons (both internal and external) which were responsible for the growth in the first place are here to stay. The external reasons such as the need for companies to find new markets, divide tasks in a way that it could be outsourced to someplace in the world where it could be done in the most efficient manner would be felt once again. These reasons are as existent now as they were before, but the risk averesness drift that is being seen currently has led to these getting subdued. However, as and when it becomes clear that Global economy is egressing out of the slowdown, things should catch-up (from where they were left, though with increased caution). There would be even a larger need to rely on globalization to meet the customer needs in the most efficient manner, for the competition would be from across the planet.
Closer scrutiny of the question leads to an implicit point being raised on which a view is being sought. It refers to whether the Indian economy find itself in a better place after the world comes out of the slowdown. This is a more long term question and would be dependent on certain specific tectonic shifts. Yet at the face of it, on a relative basis (as compared to most other economic powers), Indian economy might not be helped too much by the slowdown.
It would definitely be the case that the country's economy would have learnt its lessons and would have come up with measures to make itself more robust and sustainable (with lesser dependance on other economies). However, at the same time, the other countries would have also have derived essential learnings from the turmoil and would themselves have taken steps in the right direction.
So, when one talks about Indian economy's buoyancy, it would be the case on an absolute basis, but less so on a relative basis.
----------
The first answer that comes to my mind (and that might come to most people) is that India and its economy would definitely emerge buoyant after the Global economic slowdown. The shifting of power to the East along with expanding markets and fast paced globalization would help in this.
However, in my opinion, it is essential to understand what we mean by 'emerging buoyant'.
If we mean to say that India would be able to get back on track with the huge economic growth that it witnessed in the last decade or so, it probably would.
The reasons (both internal and external) which were responsible for the growth in the first place are here to stay. The external reasons such as the need for companies to find new markets, divide tasks in a way that it could be outsourced to someplace in the world where it could be done in the most efficient manner would be felt once again. These reasons are as existent now as they were before, but the risk averesness drift that is being seen currently has led to these getting subdued. However, as and when it becomes clear that Global economy is egressing out of the slowdown, things should catch-up (from where they were left, though with increased caution). There would be even a larger need to rely on globalization to meet the customer needs in the most efficient manner, for the competition would be from across the planet.
Closer scrutiny of the question leads to an implicit point being raised on which a view is being sought. It refers to whether the Indian economy find itself in a better place after the world comes out of the slowdown. This is a more long term question and would be dependent on certain specific tectonic shifts. Yet at the face of it, on a relative basis (as compared to most other economic powers), Indian economy might not be helped too much by the slowdown.
It would definitely be the case that the country's economy would have learnt its lessons and would have come up with measures to make itself more robust and sustainable (with lesser dependance on other economies). However, at the same time, the other countries would have also have derived essential learnings from the turmoil and would themselves have taken steps in the right direction.
So, when one talks about Indian economy's buoyancy, it would be the case on an absolute basis, but less so on a relative basis.
My vision of India in 2025 and my contribution to it
This was written as part of an application for a scholarship
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By 2025, India would decisively be in the forefront of the race to become a global superpower riding on employing its human capital to varied productive uses.
Human capital is one of the most important resources for any country. India has a relatively young population and it is critical for the country to leverage its human capital to join the ranks of the developed nations.
Education sector in India has traditionally operated in a highly regulated environment resulting in a huge demand-supply mismatch. 142 million children (of the 361 million children who should be in school) still remain out of school. High proportions of dropouts are seen at each grade. Adult literacy rate in India is 61% vs. 76.7% among developing countries and 98.5% among developed countries.
The government has realized the need to focus on education and multiple initiatives are being taken in this direction. At the same time, people’s propensity to pay for education has increased tremendously. Emergence of a strong middle class coupled with the perception of educational spend as investment for the future (rather than a expense) will help revive the education system of the nation.
In the coming years, more efficient educational system would lead to better deployment and use of funds. This would also help in reducing the skill shortage being faced by various industries by enhancing the employability of the workforce.
I believe that in a society, the more intellectual minds should service the educational system. As such, more and more people from institutes like IIMA should starting contributing to academia after they graduate.
My long-term career goal is to set-up a school for K-12 education and give a large part of my time towards its development and functioning. I plan to work for a few years to gather the necessary resources for this school. My aim is to research and gather information about various schools from across the globe. This would allow me to have a blue print of the school in terms of the various structural aspects that I want to incorporate and adapt.
Once I have managed to put in place a necessary framework for the school and the resources are at disposal, I plan to devote most of my time to it. By 2025, I see this school 2-3 years into its operations.
I am not sure how much I would have been able to contribute to the vision that has been detailed above. However, I have a strong belief that though the contribution might be small, it is with many such contributions that the vision for the country would come true.
---------
By 2025, India would decisively be in the forefront of the race to become a global superpower riding on employing its human capital to varied productive uses.
Human capital is one of the most important resources for any country. India has a relatively young population and it is critical for the country to leverage its human capital to join the ranks of the developed nations.
Education sector in India has traditionally operated in a highly regulated environment resulting in a huge demand-supply mismatch. 142 million children (of the 361 million children who should be in school) still remain out of school. High proportions of dropouts are seen at each grade. Adult literacy rate in India is 61% vs. 76.7% among developing countries and 98.5% among developed countries.
The government has realized the need to focus on education and multiple initiatives are being taken in this direction. At the same time, people’s propensity to pay for education has increased tremendously. Emergence of a strong middle class coupled with the perception of educational spend as investment for the future (rather than a expense) will help revive the education system of the nation.
In the coming years, more efficient educational system would lead to better deployment and use of funds. This would also help in reducing the skill shortage being faced by various industries by enhancing the employability of the workforce.
I believe that in a society, the more intellectual minds should service the educational system. As such, more and more people from institutes like IIMA should starting contributing to academia after they graduate.
My long-term career goal is to set-up a school for K-12 education and give a large part of my time towards its development and functioning. I plan to work for a few years to gather the necessary resources for this school. My aim is to research and gather information about various schools from across the globe. This would allow me to have a blue print of the school in terms of the various structural aspects that I want to incorporate and adapt.
Once I have managed to put in place a necessary framework for the school and the resources are at disposal, I plan to devote most of my time to it. By 2025, I see this school 2-3 years into its operations.
I am not sure how much I would have been able to contribute to the vision that has been detailed above. However, I have a strong belief that though the contribution might be small, it is with many such contributions that the vision for the country would come true.
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