Timing is the key here!

Its an art that I have mastered over the last 5 sems in IIT;as to how to convince the prof. that one is mentally present in the lecture.I might be in dreamland but for him Im complete concentration and full focus,that every word he said made sense to me and I am in awe of his gyan.Everyone knows what the reality is….

Disclaimer: Though these stunts are tried and tested, the writer isn’t responsible if one gets caught playing the tricks.One needs to graduate to a certain level of expertise and must be good at metagames.

Caution: Timing is the key!

Raise an eyebrow:An expression that suggests “chamka nahi”.The prof. is made to trace back his words and in the mean time u relax.

Aha!Yipee…:Fundae clear.Bas paper nikalne wala hai!U might club this wth a firm nod too.

A blank face:It implies being blank.At times simplicity helps.The prof. might just be in awe with himself about his pool of knowledge.U should make him feel good about himself.

A crooked face: Its a thinking expression.Or just looking around for a solution. U might actually be cursing him.

Focus on some crap written somewhere:U need to literally stare.One could actually be sleeping with his eyes wide open.Sprinkle the gaze with sounds of hmmm and an occassional blink.

Another variation of the above trick is to constantly look at him without blinking your eyes.The prof. is made to believe that you are involved with some oral calculations.

What Deepankar does best:Ask questions and raise doubts at key moments.One is supposed to catch him on his words!

All this while one could be dreaming about some cute chick,analyzing the expressions of the prof. himself(playing a metagame),playing a prank or dream about anything arbit. Infact many would agree that the best ideas strike one during boring lectures.

P.S: This blog too was composed in a two hr class where the prof. was convincved that I am taking note of his gyan.

P.P.S: I am on the look out for more expressions to add variety.You don’t wish to get predictable and the prof. should also enjoy the interaction.

Will SPIRIT lead to a new spirit!

The events as they unfolded:

-Spirit’ 06, the annual inter city sports meet organized by IITG concluded this weekend.The sports secy shoots a mail to the IITG community about the results of the various sporting events.

-Prof Kadolkar shoots a mail the next morning mentioning the few teams that participated,in some cases two or three and also raising the issue of dwindling audience.

-Round about the same time DD and myself talk about the faculty attendance in the Six Sigma workshop organized by EDC.He appreciates my concern.

-DD drops in a mail about the low participation of both students and faculty in cultural,sports and other events as a reply to prof. Kadolkar’s mail .

-Abhishek Mishra drops in a mail to Prof. Kadolkar, as a reply to his mail where the Prof. had asked the concerned students/officials for Spirit ‘06 to do some soul searching. A harsh reply,must say.

-Prof. Kadolkar replies back,withdrawing from the debate and also calling the event an organizational failure and thus not burdening an individual with the blame.

-Nishant shoots a mail addressing the IITG community and raises issues that should concern everyone. He appeals both the Fac and the students to actively participate in the sporting activity of the institute(With Inter in Dec ‘06).

-Ashutosh drops in with his own version explaining the scheme of things and requesting the junta to come forward,to contribute and make a difference.

Well once again,I expected this call for change.There is a need to better the thought process and raise the level of thinking.The EDC too decided to modify its forthcoming event,Innovista 2006 with an aim to mould the first and the second yearites to a different mindset. Every soul tries to quantify his efforts/results without giving a thought to the intangible benefits.All want an xtra line in their CV.All efforts to gain knowledge are conscious.

Among the many takeaways from the Six Sigma workshop,the two at the top of my mind are: Right first time and The hero culture. Unless and until you show the junta the incentives they seem to be not concerned. And unfortunately this thinking is seen more so in the youth today.Every effort in the xams is toward numbers, every effort toward a non academic activity if for a better job;the better job defined as the one that strictly pays more.Junta blindly appin for an intern abroad and not exploring other more viable and in some cases better options.The vision is too self centric and narrow.It restricts the domain of one’s thinking.The Indian approach of finding faults but to never appreciate an effort needs to change.

What does an average IITian do; orkutting,movies,chatting,gossip,vyling away time and other kinds of crap.The hype about the aura of an IITian,I guess is very much responsible for this behaviour.The fear of failure,the fear of being left out is another!Opportunities abound but the need is to tap them…

The Art of war

RIL gives up its Reliance Infocomm telephone lines in favour of MTNL;270 connections for its Makers IV office and another 90 connections for the office in Tulsiani Chambers.

RIL’s proposed buyout of BP Innovene: It would have made RIL a strong global petrochemicals giant.Thanks to the news of the acquisition making its way to the headlines of a large selling newspaper, the confidentiality clause breached, talks with RIL were called off and thus the deal was unstuck.Did whoever leaked the news know about the clause?

RIL is said to have asked for changes in its sales and purchase agreement with NTPC.RIL had apparently agreed to supply gas to Reliance Energy’s proposed project in Dadri in UP at terms similar to what had been agreed upon with NTPC. So, do the changes that have been asked for in the NTPC agreement point towards some tinkering with the Dadri project too?

A PIL filed in the supreme court charges Pramod Mahajan as a beneficiary when Infocomm allotted 1 crore RIC shares at Re1 to three front companies instead of Rs. 55 each paid by (public listed) Reliance industries itself for the same shares at that tme.A month back the Supreme court issued notices to CBI and the CVC after admitting the PIL.If Reliance Infocomm too is culpable, who should be carrying the can:Bade Miyan yaa Chote Miyan?Could this be the reason why Mukesh agreed to let go Infocomm,his pet project? Recollect,Anil himself had raised the issue of allocation of RIC shares and accused the RIC board…

The peace treaty agreed upon by the two brothers included a no compete clause (If I remember well for six years…)Both already have a retail presence and are looking to expand in a big way(Mukesh has a Rs. 30,000 crore retail plan ready).

(Query:Why aren’t the Ambanis not making a big brand out of Vimal as in expanding its domain?India sure needs a brand to compete with Peirre Cardin, Allen Solly and the likes.Or is it in the pipeline…)

The Ambani family has been in the headlines since Dhirubhai wrote a new chapter in the history of Indian stock market.Junta idolized him for his contribution to the society and his shareholders.I just know onething;he used all the wrong means possible to get there!

I remember being involved in two debates: One with Sagar (who still idolizes him) and the other with Jubin on why I don’t admire his achievements and look upto him as a role model.Junta in Vesit still recollects the heated debate between Jubin and me.Well, not that I gain saddistic pleasure watching the two brothers wash their dirty linen in public,I am not surprised and neither do I feel sorry for Kokilaben.This had to happen…its in the blood.Butcher the other guy and get on top of him.Unfortunately the father forgot to clarify the special case of the other guy being your sibling.

I remember having read somewhere: It took a son of a school teacher from some obscure
village in Gujarat to build a Rs.88,000 crore empire and it didn’t take much efforts from his two educated sons to go splitsville!!!

A piece of information:Mukesh isn’t a Stanford grad as widely publicised.He is a drop out!!!(I trust Steve Ballmer on this.)

All said and done I sure am interested in how Anil Ambani goes about structuring his ADAE.Also do keep a tab on the SEZ planed by Bade Miyan.

Happy b’day St. Valentine…

Would you be my valentine?Yeah,she said,adjusting her hair that ended in countless ringlets.My heart skipped a beat.

She was the perfect valentine that I could ask for.I enjoyed every minute of this rendezvous.Her magnetic eyes had a soft but insistent gaze. Her waist length hair had a life of their own:a strand fell on her forehead repeatedly. And just like her gaze her smile was arresting too.

We went for a long walk by the lakeside and rambled on for hrs in length.I got to know her better and was in for a few surprises too. Was taken aback by a few revelations by her. She touched my heart and made me stronger.For once I got to know myself better. For every minute that I spend with her,it was difficult to withdraw from the gaze of her eyes.

As I look back to those magical moments,trying to recollect all that she had to say, realization dawns that there is a

The need to change,
the need to look beyond the horizon,
the need to have a broader perspective,
the need to accept and respect other’s opinion,
the need to believe in a system called destiny,
the need to introspect often,
the need to change,to change others,
the need to break rules,
the need to make things happen,
the need to have a cause for a vision,
the need to have clearity in thought,
the need to build a structure with its foundation deep rooted in values/ethics,
the need to not search for happiness,
the need to not run from something not after you,
the need to explore and experiment,
the need to not be a part of a rat race,
the need to be the thinker and not the thought,
the need to be goofy at times,
the need to not kid with oneself.
the need to keep learning,
the need to be curious,
the need to follow one’s instincts
the need to dare to fail,
the need to trust oneself and the almighty! and
the need to not watch Friends for the 6th time!!!

Main aur meri Tanhayee, Wishes everyone a Happy Valentine’s day…

Mission accomplished.

- I had my Monday breakfast in the mess.Both, the prof and myself decided to give the lecture a miss.(I knew this was the only way possible).I had a nice sleep and the prof. (He is the deputy diro) I guess cud n’t sleep coz of the Alcher fiasco.

-Strange are the ways of the stock market.Last June, the sensex zoomed past the 6,000 level on the back of a settlement between the Ambani brothers. On Monday, 10,000 was struck even as the two brothers accused each other of not sticking to the terms outlined in the settlement.
 

The IITians

Alcher Day 2: It was fun running on the corridors and in the deps of NAC finding clues and solving interesting puzzles for the Treasure hunt. The rock contest was awesome.The Hobos finished runners up.17-18 yr olds chinks, team Native Rules from Shillong truly rocked. The Metallica medley got everyone head banging,including me. I actually surprised myself with my energy when I continued head banging when Prestorika was playing. They too were amazing. We were treated to every genre of rock. Be it Megadeth,Metallica,Maiden,their own compostions, Dream theater or even Pink Floyd I did get an adrenaline kick and continued to swing.At times I lost my balance too.Wow!!!I indeed rocked.At the end of the show it was not surprising if 25 IITians were reported to the Disciplinary commitee(Disco) for their behaviour post smoking,boozing or doping.

Alcher Day 3: This time we had a larger area to search for the clues in treasure hunt.It was 2 + 2 hrs well spent. Then came Strings.Huge crowd in thousands was expected and so was some pain in the ass for the organisers.They had played just two songs when trouble started brewing up at the main entrance of SAC. The junta had gate crashed(Every individual is frisked before being allowed in).Within seconds almost all IITians reached the spot and we were too strong for them.The gates were closed and those injured(two fell unconscious coz of the stampede) were treated. The show was held up till normalcy was restored and junta were let in again.Most of them joined the party.But these hot headed people didn’t seem to let us enjoy. The tiff that ensued outside the SAC (very fortunately,metres away from the venue) between morons got us back to the gates. The victim was beaten up and being showered with the cycles parked by not less than 10 guys.Absolute insanity. I fail to understand the crowd mentality and the reasons behind aggression in the society here. Dissatisfaction,yes but that does not explain such extreme behaviour. I remember attending a lecture by some Assamese economist,presently a faculty in some Ivy league univ. of USA on reasons for the underdevelopment of this region. Not even once was the pyschology of the youth discussed.Though the talk was more of an open ended discussion,people did seem to ignore the unrest among the youth. There are various factors which I do not wish to delve into but the junta here (not the migrants) doesn’t seem to be on the right track.

The one thing that stood out was the solidarity of the IITians(non working members) when it came to helping the security team.Three human chains were formed and no crowd could dare challenge us.

It was fun and sometimes a little embarassing to see fellow IITians desperately seeking a girl for the Treasure hunt and the Djing contest(Both were for “couples” only).

It felt good this time.Didn’t contribute to the success of Alcher(except in the security while Strings was performing) and hence was relaxed.Enjoyed myself the way I wish to!!!

Im sure many IITians will party for the next few weeks with all the smokes and drugs confiscated!!!

Roobaroo

-”I always believed there were two kinds of men in this world,men who go to their death screaming & men who go to their death in silence,then I met the third kind…(men who laugh their way to immortality)”

-Alcher Day 0:Rock -O-Phonix prelims…Awesome performance by most of the bands. Master of puppets,Symphony of Destruction,Comfortably Numb,Smoke on the water, Dream Theater and the one word to describe them is Aukat!They played with passion. I place my bet on The Hobos from Kolkota.

-Alcher Day 1:Decent.After witnessing a few performances I wonder if my tastes are bad or is it that I’m different.The latter to me is more convincing.Evening well spent by watching Rang De Basanti.The movie is a must watch.Kudos to all associated with the film.

-Based on obseravtion and a little thought put in: Many would agree that there exists no dress sense when it comes to hostellites(assuming working days,cult fests are scene 2). Is it just our casual attitude or is it some kind of peer pressure that results in the junta being decked up all the time.This kinda bugged me in this winter home coming.Every second individual (and every female) that went past me seemed to have sprayed an entire bottle of perfume!!!Valid assumption:Every soul dresses for the opposite sex(holds true for males and in particular for females.)Me,being a Mumbaikar and having spent the last 30 months in an IIT campus would opine the latter.(Though I accept that there is some truth in the former too).

-An easy way to find a vision in one’s life, find a cause.It makes your aura simple.Decision making gets efficient and effective.

-Both Techniche and Alcher are in need of a broader vision.Else the stagnation will make them suck in a yr ot two.

-”What is it that makes one have no fear?I think sometimes a person can be pushed so far that they reach a place beyond fear, a place where you find a strange peace, a place where you free yourself to do the right thing because sometimes thats the hardest thing to do.”

Two parathas + the attendance.

The morning was indeed good.I reached the mess at 7.40 expecting a long queue as the menu was “mooli ke parathe”.But surprisingly and to my good fortune there was none.I got to eat two hot ones at my own leisure.10 mins up, I left for NAC and for the first time this sem I reached the class before the prof. had started the roll call.This prof is responsible for 8 credits this sem.8 credits translate into 58 contact hrs of which u can afford to miss only 14 else you have a default F grade.The trouble with him is that he takes 2 hr lectures from 8 to 10 twice a week.If u reach the class a minute after 8 your next two hrs are a waste.No gyan is gained in those two hrs.U only feel happy about your attendance.As yet I wasn’t blessed with time to complete 2 parathas forget enjoying them.So it felt really good to reach the class after having a nice breakfast.I actually punched the air after entering the room.Cursed the prof. every minute for the next two hrs though!!!(Baring his smoke break)

My next target is to relish the Monday breakfast(4 loaves of bread with butter and an omlette) in the mess.So far in the sem its always been on my way to NAC.

Quote of the day:I read this in an indiatimes blog: “I am all for male homosexuality and against female homosexuality,it will reduce competetion.”