क्यूँ विचलित कर जाते हो

जब एकाग्रचित हो मैं स्वप्न बुनता
प्रेम-पथिक बन जाने का
या जग को सुखद बनाने का
इस भंवर-जाल में तुमको ढूंढ़ता
या फिर मृग की तृष्णा को
स्वप्न समर्पित करके प्रियतम
जब मैं सुंदर घर बनाता
भावों के सागर में जब
डूब कर फिर उतराता रहता
तिल-तिल मैं जल कर जब
सहर्ष तुमको उजाला देता
निश्चल मेरा मन निरंतर
इन कर्मों से गीता लिखता
तब तुम मेरे प्रियवर
क्यूँ विचलित कर जाते हो
साँसों में जब बस चुके हो
ख्वाबों में क्यूँ आ जाते हो

पेचीदा पेंच जीवन के

कल जब तुम आओगे
सुकून भी होगा कशमकश भी होगी
कुछ आहें भी होंगी कुछ अफवाहें भी होंगी
सोचेंगे सब लोग तुम्हारे बारे में
करेंगे बात अब लोग हमारे बारे में
वो ख्याल जिन्हें कभी आवाज़ नसीब न हुई
कहे जायेंगे वो भी गैरों के अल्फाजों में
जहाँ न आदर होगा न श्रद्धा होगी
न विश्वास होगा न अहसास होगा
जब सुनेंगे हम उन्हें तमाशबीनों की तरह
कुछ हिचकिचाहट तो होगी
सिर्फ मोहब्बत में इतनी न होती
पर इबादत में तो होगी
कल जब तुम आओगे
कुछ मोहब्बत भी होगी कुछ इबादत भी होगी

Bikini model, JK cement, SRK and everything else

Milestone Man Sachin Tendulkar playing an inning of a lifetime. Whole India watching this immaculate inning like dedicated religious followers. And whooo… here comes an ad provoking deliberate disgust. Clueless, we kept wondering what was it actually about. In case you missed it, it was a JK cement commercial. A young lady in red swimsuit, completely drenched, flaunting her assets walks out of the sea and a  line goes – विश्वास है इसमें कुछ ख़ास है

HARD CORE

Despite our admiration of bikini babes, the head went round figuring out her relation with the product of this pervert-advert.

After thorough research, I am finally able to comprehend their product launch strategy. Here it is:

JK cement is entering the breast augmentation sector bringing out new cement implants, which is expected to completely replace much costlier silicon implants. HARD – CORE is a total indigenous and patented technique in which bio-compatible cement is pumped inside busts. In India, the market for breast augmentation is currently miniscule because Indian girls are naturally bestowed with awesome bosoms. However Indian women have always dreamt of something which can give their breasts some firmness. Hard-Core will provide them proper stiffness, maintaining their natural flexural property.

Apart from the bikini model showcasing the cement implants, JK cement also intends to hire Shahrukh Khan to endorse JK cement’s for-male product categories. SRK is endorsing                “मर्दों वाली cream” for quite some time now, and he is all set for “मर्दों वाली cement”. The cement has raised the expectations of all lazy souls who could not build their chest. ROCK – HARD will help men make their chest rocklike for lifetime in a couple of hours surgery.

ROCK HARD

JK cement has also collaborated with the materials science department of IITB (Institute of Infinite Tharak) to further investigate the suitability of this technique to make human buns firm too.

IIT faculty shows strength – though at a wrong front contd..

Some of the arguments for higher pay are that they are the leading minds in their respective fields and there is a significant opportunity cost for them to continue as faculty. The fact they forget is that IIT is a platform to work. Teaching is not their final job. They can take industrial projects and can earn money.

Had all of them being capable and competitive of private sector, at least some of them would have moved out. Not everyone is here for charity. Actually no one is here for charity. It’s not like judges where we want them not to look outside for earnings. In IITs you want professors to take projects and do consultancy and cater industries and government projects. Their asking for more salary indicates their incompetence and failure in doing that.

Another argument given is the opportunity cost involved in doing Phd. Some clever calculations are made which show that if a person is not doing Phd after BTech and working; then he will earn and save this much. Then, what about not doing BTech in the first place and what about 15 years of schooling? It’s all about building up your capabilities, so that you will have the potential of earning much more at a later stage.

IIT professors are not just to teach, they are here to do research and earn while teaching. As the teaching job is secondary of a greater goal, the pay is also a supplement of the opportunity they get. Had they opened a consultancy outside it would have taken them crores to set up a fraction of this infrastructure (machinery and equipments).

I must be sounding insolent and rebellious, but one should look at the level of research after 50 years of IITs. It may sound obstinate but only then research will start in this country. Otherwise the lazy souls will remain happy in the pseudo research they do and the sacrosanct image society bestows on them.

Last but not least, what a wonderful way of protest- Strike, hunger strike, abstinence. IIT worker’s union on strike!!!

You are the omniscient intellects! Write articles, awake people, gain some support from the common man (which is not difficult, as he already considers you divine), Call Kapil Sibal for public debates, write articles in media and if nothing happens, then go for such frivolous measures.

IIT faculty shows strength – though at a wrong front

DEMANDS

• Abolish entry-level contract-based posts and replace these with a regular cadre with higher salaries.
• Withdrawal of 40% cap on promotion of professors to senior grade.
• Allow recruitment of PhDs at Assistant Professor-level without three years of experience mandated by the notification
• An increase in Academic grade pay for Associate Professors and Professors.
• Hike in Professional Development Allowance (PDA) from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh for three years; a ‘Scholastic/Special Allowance’ to all faculty as given at ISRO/DRDO.

SUPPLY

• Assistant professors – Rs 15,600-39,100 with AGP of Rs 8,700
• Associate professors – Rs 37,000-67,000 with AGP of Rs 9,500
• Salary I don’t know, but professors get AGP of 10,500. AGP of 10,000+ brings with itself a bundle of perks.
• Ministry offered 20% of the basic salary as PRIS (performance related incentive scheme). There will be a scientific way of calculating a distribution curve depending on teaching outcomes, research work, publications, etc. Based on performance on all these parameters, a faculty member would be eligible for PRIS.”

WHAT IS NOT COUNTED

• All 3 categories get housing in campus with state of the art facilities at paltry costs.
• Every professor has access to all machinery and equipments with petty charges for industrial projects and other researchers and students to work on.
• To attract new quality faculty, a joining bonus of around 3-5 lakh is given (at least in IITB)
• Uninterrupted internet, electricity, running water, phone, electricians, plumbers at one call, clean and green environment and what not?
• Semester runs for 32 weeks, so profs can take leave as per their convenience during the rest 20 weeks. They even otherwise can take anytime.
• A prof hardly takes 0-5 courses a year, 200 hours at max. Which other job has that luxury?
• Even for those courses they get teaching assistants to work for them. These TAs are paid enough, so obviously they work enough
• Professors judge professors. They are judged by each other. And who can question emeritus professors? Wah! What a system!!!

Gandhiji to my ex

One should not wait for Gandhi Jayantis to learn a lesson from him. Forget the perfunctory holiday, read some of his thoughts daily, again and again. It will take years for them to seep down our hard skull. If you think you understood them at once, take it from me that you haven’t understand me, let alone Gandhiji. It took him years to gradually bring them into routine. Even one liners and anecdotes he told were gems. We can discuss their relevance today, no problem in that. It will be as simple as discussing Napoleon’s or Alexander’s warfare. Doesn’t take a penny!

He once said , “Insistence on truth can come into play when one party practices untruth or injustice. Only then can love be tested. True friendship is put to the test only when one party disregards the obligation of friendship“.

A lesson my ex- girlfriend can learn.

bore it but abhor it

Someone told us about brain drain and everyone suddenly started talking about it. Essays were written and debates were held. No one bothered about the probity of the matter.

Someone told us about migration and complications it has caused in metros. About the jobs that are being taken away. We docilely accepted it. Those who disagreed hardly gave any tangible arguments. Where are the stats?

Someone told us about global warming and we again started showing our herd behavior. We admonished our mothers and grand mothers about their not so eco friendly habits. Parades are held even in small towns and cities. Everyone is alarming everyone else. Everyone hurried to dig for solutions. IITs are no good in this. Very few went to research out the integrity of the whole problem.

There are zillion examples which tell us how well we preserve our minds and save them from getting worn out. Above stated problems, as they call them, are just examples and I will give my perspective on it in subsequent posts.

Which animal are you?

I doubt if any facebook application can tell you this. To answer it truly will be an arduous task. We are all social animals and have instincts of many not so social animals. One particular instinct which we all abhor, but bore, in our pre conscious minds are the attributes of sheep. Yes, the sheep! We all are very much comfortable in the skin of a sheep and walking in flocks. Disguised in crowds, we follow whatever is said 100 times or more.

All credits to the religious leaders in all religions. All religions are equal in at least one tenet they share. “Don’t question our mythology and detest others”. Every religion demands this very belief. They may profess different things, but this is a firm postulate in their foundation.

Second cause of this herd mentality is the lack of education and liberty given to our mothers. Education makes you come across many new ideas and you become receptive to them. Also it gives you some technological exposure and research orientation. Only people who are free socially can think freely. The society has not given either to most of our mothers. They have the greatest impact on us. Depriving them of it paralyzes the whole family and society in turn.

Bachelor Atalji and Orphan BJP

Those who think that Jaswant Singh started the current turmoil in BJP are gulls. Ever since the annihilation in 2009 elections, BJP leaders are ranging like headless chickens on the national centrestage and edging towards a gaping abyss. It began as soon as Atalji superannuated from active politics in early 2006 and BJP acquiesced Advani as their leader. But the foundation of this problem was laid much before that, by our revered hero Atalji.

It’s the unintended consequence of Atalji’s short sightedness. He forgot that the ideology of natural successor is deep sown in Indians minds. Archdukes still enjoy apical status in India, whether it’s in politics, bollywood, or in corporate sphere. They are prudent and have worked well. Advaniji, who is in abject misery since 2009 elections, committed similar mistake by not bringing his children in politics. Before elections BJP could not find a single alternate of Advaniji and now everyone there is a self proclaimed heir.

Had there been a natural successor, he must have learnt the tricks of the trade from Atalji. Secondly Atalji could have exercised his wisdom through him, which is simply not possible now. When there is such a public outcry about conserving Indian culture and values, why not consider the tradition of natural successor as a part of it. Nepotism is a dirty word. One can’t think of promoting it, though we all bore it. A party who is bearing the burns of this aberration is BJP and while congress is enjoying a bumper crop. They know how to ‘value our traditions’. That’s why Hamdulla Sayeed is in Lok Sabha at 26 and Agatha Sangma is minister at 29. Right or wrong is secondary when it comes to winning elections. Even if that’s wrong, it would have done lesser harm then what BJP and RSS now do to win elections.

Behen Mayawati! Better late then never!! We hope it’s not too late!!!

alpha post

Hey all,

There is much truth in the old adage, well begun is half done. It took me eons to mark a start and came when I started feeling that wordpress might just disable my blog. Not a single post in 1 year qualifies for this conviction. I always felt that my social and business acumen makes me eligible for blogging, realized lately that you don’t require it. : P

I guess the pull for GRE actuated me to start this now. I doubt if I am an adept blogger but the motif is to present my not so important views on all the important topics. It’s not about flushing out thoughts, but to serve some comestible intellectual nourishment. Food for thought, as they say. Some heresies, some heretical notions that I have not abjured even now. So guys, happy reading !!