India - Are We on Track?

Been a Hiatus since my last post... The lazy person I am, I wait for a sudden impulse to blog. The best thing is to follow Richard Branson's advice... "Screw It, Lets Just Do It" :) So whenever there's anything on your mind...and your mind responds back that there are many better things to do .. like surf Orkut... tell your mind... Screw it and just blog it! :D

Ok.. enough with the intro... I think about this topic almost everyday... Now who doesn't ? Its just that we don't discuss it enough .. so it just stays there in the subconscious. Our mentality adds fuel to the fire..... If It ain't broke, don't fix it!!! I know many people discuss about this.. its so rampant.. but I sometimes wonder... We all know it... but how can we quantify it and try to make a difference even if its small!! ? Okay forget contributing.. are we at least aware of the root problems? (Read - our mentality)

I consider us on track even if we change our mentality.

I had a good discussion over the last 2-3 days with a good friend over this topic... and the result of that is clearer understanding about what makes the Americans better than us and what doesn't.

Okay.. getting back on track to the topic... The Indian economy is improving.. that's obvious. Its the resultant of various factors taken into consideration... The Services sector is the major driving force behind the boom. But the scene is slowly changing.. with most of the global multinationals foreseeing India as a huge and profitable market and making BIG investments.
Just look up any big bank/automobile manufacturer or whoever... Almost everyone has established their base in India... or have plans in the pipeline.

All this is fine... The firangis are happy, Indians working for them are happy, politicians are happy, we are all happy to hear that India is "progressing".

Reading between the lines, I just see this as an opportunity for the outsiders to tap the huge Indian market and make profits, sharing a minuscule portion with Indians. After all, this is what business is about. Globalization is a reason behind this as well... but its a different topic altogether.

But the core issue we all tend to forget is "Development", the only way by which we can move to the First world from the Third World.

There are so many things here regarding Development on my mind. I will try to put them down.

1) When the world thinks about India, all focus is on the major cities - read Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore, Gurgaon. So our seemingly obvious approach is to give godlike status to these select cities and create such a hype around it that people all over India come flocking just to the metros. The already burdened metros face even more problems due to the population explosion.
Relatively, the development and focus in smaller cities and villages is on a much smaller scale. A large chunk of the resources are allotted to the big cities. How these resources actually improve the city is a different issue altogether - There are hundreds of players wanting their share of the resource, rather than a few dedicated organizations who can turn around the infrastructure if given power. As the adage goes, Too many cooks spoil the broth.

2) I love to surf Google Maps... and marvel around on how both the big as well as smaller American cities are developed. The standards are so high. An element of smart planning is clear throughout. Everything is so systematic... that you can get exact directions from point A to point B, even the approximate time required. If you read between the lines, you can decipher that we need to draw lines too... keep things separate, have dedicated bodies for specific functions. We need to have a Big Brother who will have an overall perspective on what's happening and can control the different bodies if they are going off track. The big brother approach has really helped the United States and many other countries, I feel. More on this coming in another post.

3) This is a sensitive issue. Frankly speaking, it is one of the most neglected issues here in India. We all have fun and frolic during our larger than life festivals - Diwali, Holi, Ganesh Chaturthi and Visarjan and scores of other smaller ones. I am not at all against any of these, but I feel that its going out of control. Its fun, agreed, but frankly speaking, the consequences are huge. We are damaging and tarnishing our ecosystem, fast depleting natural resources as well as our infrastructure, all in the name of the lord or just for the sake of having fun. Everyone of us should ask ourself a few questions - Is this out of the world celebration really needed? Can it be contained and controlled? Can we prioritize our responsibilities towards our country? Can tradition be discounted for the sake of development? Can we do something constructive rather than take over the streets and cause nuisance? Is there an alternative?

I believe this is where Big brother comes into picture. Capitol Hill is aware that if people are given the power, the consequences can be disastrous. So it creates a fear in the average American, not to mess with the law and order. And it is quite successful in doing so. One factor I am discounting here is the population. The population here in India is growing by leaps and bounds. And a system needs to be in place urgently. Lines must be drawn and rules must be enforced. All it takes is some basic infrastructure like Gates, Walls, anti-cross dividers on roads and railways. Some of us will say that this is a very difficult task, considering the number of people. But look around at the scale of the developments happening in BKC, Mumbai or Gurgaon. All this is certainly achievable. We all talk about the technological progress. But is it used in the Railways? Are there any metal detectors and gates in place? If we demand safety, we have to invest. It doesn't come for free. "Lets just keep things separate", lets use roads for driving cars and not for jaywalking and merry making. Are there any laws to check the population control like some Asian countries do? Let us prioritize on what is important for our development, rather than focusing and doting on irrelevant issues and fighting amongst ourselves.

I know I have cribbed a lot here... but I think every Indian who dreams of living in a "civilized" and developed country should have this mindset, and pass it on to everyone, including the rule makers. I think I have written quite a lot in this post.... If I might have gone a bit overboard, you can correct me on that. The goal of this blog is to start a discussion and share our thoughts in a rational manner.

Adios!

Induction Program - An Experience

Its been a week since I started working with a young IT Consulting and Solutions company.

I am still spellbound over the effect of a single week at work (not really work!) on my lifestyle. The laid back life I was living over the last two months finally has come to an end. No more sleeping, movies and hanging out. I had a similar feeling during those Engineering days... the migration from the one month vacation to a new semester. But, the migration this time is completely different and is more of a learning experience.

The reason for this is the chilled out and fresher friendly work environment at my organization and the investment, time and the personal attention it puts in to develop us newbies. The highlight of this week was the Induction and Development Program the company had organized for us at Sinhagad Fort near Pune , by a professional outfit named High Places Management Pvt. Ltd. , based at Pune.

These chaps conduct management development programs for various organizations, small and big, for freshers as well as for senior management.

The Induction Program started off with presentations by people with various roles and experience at the company, in Mumbai. Thereafter, on Friday Afternoon we, a batch of twenty one embarked on our journey to the Fort. We already had got various opportunities to get to know each other, but this was the best time to understand my colleagues. The guest house on the top of the fort is a kind of a dormitory, with one huge room each for the guys and the girls.

The weather was just awesome, with clouds hovering around and greenery. Everything just looked surreal. The Induction program consisted of various team games , open forums, trekking, a presentation by the company and discussion of experiences conducted after every activity. The whole thing was very well thought out, designed, planned and managed by the outdoor organization. It was completely relevant and met its goals, focussing on Experiential Learning. (Learning through Action)


The objective of the entire program was to help us understand each other, learn to interact and work with differently minded people and to introduce us to corporate life, a transition from college life. We learnt various lessons, a few of them being time management, being practical, getting work done in spite of different approaches and clashes and try to make the most out of each other's potential, leading to tangible results. The idea is that individual performances and contributions add up and achieve big results.

I've a special mention for one of the directors the outdoor outfit, Mr. Milind Kirtane. A middle aged person, who graduated from IIT Chennai and after working for 8 years, left the comforts of a cushy corporate job for something more adventurous and fulfilling. Since then he has a great experience outdoors. Its been a pleasure to listen to his experiences and philosophy towards life.

The fear and the apprehensions I had about life at work almost vanished after this program. It might be temporary, but it provided a great impetus nonetheless. My understanding of this world, people and the company has taken a step up. I believe that, finally its all in the mind and my mind is ready to enter the corporate world. Well, Almost!!

Thought of the Day!

No this is not a series. Don't expect me to post a thought a day. Anyway... it Just occurred to me and I found it cool enough to post it here -


"I for one, believe that Life is Large, its like Wikipedia (:P) There is so much to see, so much to learn, so much to do..... you never seem to get enough of it. You just can't seem to conquer life with the challenges it keeps throwing at you."

- Ashutosh Deo (August 18, 2007) ;)

Movies: My Recommendations

I recently added one more thing to my addiction bag- MOVIES. You could say I picked it up from a very good friend and a movie addict, before he left for the states recently. No, I just don't watch any movie I get.... I am hunting for some "quality movies", the ones that tend to influence or inspire you big time... the ones which make you think and change your outlook towards the world.

I knew all along that I was gonna see these "quality movies" some or the other time... but out of laziness and disinterest, had thought of seeing them in old age :D

Glad I am done with my Engineering and back to my usual self (Free Bird) plus ample availability of time (No responsibility, girlfriends etc) that I started this "hobby" and am half a connoisseur of movies already. But I've to admit, I was completely wrong when I used to think earlier that this would be a waste of time. Now I regret why I didn't start watching earlier.. But its better late than never. I assure you that watching these movies will reinstate your faith in the world and life in general... Ok I am getting too philosophical here ;)

I discovered and confirmed my liking in Biographies, Drama, Romance, Travel and Real Life stories. I have always loved to read about people, how they turned their life around in difficult circumstances, how they started companies, how they travelled round the world et al. In short, I am inspired by real world stuff.

Ok... Time for the recommendations... Click on them to know more, from the IMDB (Internet Movie Database... cool huh? Make friends with IMDB)

The Best of them all: (in no particular order)

Diarios de motocicleta (The Motorcycle Diaries) (2004)
Vita è bella, La (Life is Beautiful) (1997)
October Sky (1999)
The World's Fastest Indian (2005)
Rain Man (1988)
The Godfather (1972)
Before Sunrise (1995)
The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Nuovo cinema Paradiso (1988)

Really Good Movies:

Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
12 Angry Men (1957)
The Pianist (2002)
The Sting (1973)
Leben der Anderen, Das (The Lives of Others) (2006)
The Apartment (1960)
Office Space (1999)
The Usual Suspects (1995)
Cast away (2000)
Man on the Moon (1999)
The Insider (1999)
Double Indemnity (1944)
Midnight Run (1988)
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Memento (2000)
Sideways (2004)
Heat (1995)
Wall Street (1987)
Men of Honor (2000)
The Departed (2006)
The Straight Story (1999)
No Country for Old Men (2007)
Back to the Future (1985)
Back to the Future Part II (1989)
The Notebook (2004)

Good Movies:

Serpico (1973)
Some Like It Hot (1959)
Before Sunset (2004)
Inside Man (2006)
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)
Donnie Brasco (1997)
Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
Just Like Heaven (2005)
The Girl Next Door (2004)
Carlito's Way (1993)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
L.A. Confidential (1997)
Good Will Hunting (1997)
The Hurricane (1999)
Ocean's Eleven (2001)
The Last King of Scotland (2006)
What Women Want (2000)
A Walk to Remember (2002)
Anger Management (2003)



That's all I remember now... Will have to keep updating this post. The distinction of the movies might be different for you... I made the categories as per my thinking about the movie. There are a lot more movies I could've mentioned... but they're too common.... (again it just might be me)


Your movie taste meter increases as you recollect having seen one of these :P
Ok I know there are much better movie connoisseurs than me and that I've to watch a lot more greats yet.. ... but what the heck :)

Please fire some comments and recommendations.

I gotta go watch a Movie now... Seeya

--> Last Updated July 18 2008

Privacy and Controls on Orkut.com

I don't know if this will be read... but I guess I can take a chance, even if it is miniscule.

Coming to the point, I really feel that Orkut.com should not be a completely open environment. It should give users some control, by giving them the option of restricting access to their profile and scrapbook, since its very personal. There are many people including myself who wish that their profile/scrapbook should not be viewed by everyone, at least not by those who are not in the circle of friends or the "network".

One thing that I feel that would really improve privacy in Orkut would be the denial of access to view a profile for someone who is on the ignore list.

I understand that it restricts the purpose of Orkut as a free environment wherein you can find your old mates by just searching and looking up their profile. But I feel that we can always use the power of a "network" ( friends of friends of friends ) to look up old mates. If anyone is really serious about finding their old mates, they can always look up their friends' lists. It almost always works. Orkut.com can also have the search option modified to search only the user's own "network" instead of the entire database.

I agree that it would be a complex task to implement, considering the efforts needed to be taken and the layers of security which would be required.

But I feel that it is a necessity considering the kind of impact Orkut.com has made in the social networking scene and "lifestyle" in general. I don't feel confident about the safety of the users, especially when details about them and their lifestlye are thrown open to everyone. You really do not want some peeps to know what's going on in your life.

If anyone does want to make pen pals all over the world, they always have the option of joining "communities" containing people with common interests, although at their own risk, because then again their profile would be thrown open to everyone. To tackle this problem, Orkut.com can have the concept of Open and Closed communities, meaning just what the names suggest. The result of the explosive growth of Orkut.com is that almost anyone who uses computers for networking is on it and there are countless communities on almost all aspects of our world - A case of 'you search it and you find it'

I appreciate the "Don't be evil" motto of Google.com, but its not enough to deter anyone from being evil! There have to be more controls in place than the existing ones.

Especially when people start interacting and living more on Orkut.com than the real world!!!!

And when you know there's a small evil side in each one of us :)

Random Thoughts

There's so much disparity in this world when it comes to the rich and the poor. Imagine this - A celeb blows up more money in a single night than a poor man would earn in his entire lifetime. The definition of power has changed over the years. Power is being abused like anything. Everywhere. I wonder when righteousness will prevail.

I sometimes wonder... how we manage being chained and live life by the same set of rules, doing the same mundane things and doing what everyone thinks is right for us ... instead of listening to what our own heart says. I wonder why we try to play safe all our life.

If only it was as easy to get your thoughts and feelings across and act at the right time, life would be a whole lot different. Think about it.

I realised that such thoughts strike like a bolt out of the blue, sometimes in the middle of the night, sometimes after watching a movie....... and I find them worthwhile enough to list them here. ;)

BarCamp Mumbai - KJ Somaiya CoE

Date: 11.02.07
Venue: K. J. Somaiya College of Engineering , Vidyavihar (E), Mumbai - 77

I just read about this stuff. Good to hear that my college will be hosting a BarCamp event. Me and a friend, Siddharth Doshi are planning it.

In today's age of Information Explosion and Web 2.0, the BarCamp concept does not come as a surprise to me. I hope that the industry-academia interaction improves because of these events.

Anyway... everyone's invited to the event. Please share this info with as many of your friends and professionals. For more information, click on the above image.

A drive down Galle Road, Sri Lanka

This is the first post of my Sri Lanka Travelogue (March-May 2003) Keep watching for updates. I'll be uploading more snaps soon. Here's a nice interactive map for those geographically inclined:

Sri Lanka Map





******************************************************
A drive down Galle Road, Sri Lanka

This article is reminiscent of the vivid memories down the pristine South-Western Sri Lankan Coast, before being ravaged by the Tsunami.

For the uninformed, Galle Road is the major road along the south-western coastline of Sri Lanka, starting from downtown Colombo, right to the fort town of Galle, on the southern tip of the island. If you want to have a taste of what coastal Sri Lanka is all about, this is the drive you probably want to undertake.

The entire drive is scenic, for, most of the time, it runs parallel to the Indian Ocean. The ocean looks beautiful in light blue during clear sunny days and gray when the weather is overcast. The drive becomes even more comforting since the roads are good.

After leaving Colombo and the suburbs of Dehiwala, you encounter the coastal villages of Kalutara, Beruwala, Bentota, Ambalangoda and finally, the popular beach of Hikkaduwa. Marine life enthusiasts can visit a sea turtle hatchery along the way. The owners are very friendly and would happily talk about the different species of rare turtles. You can enjoy a boat ride on the backwaters of river Balapitiya, at Bentota, amidst the mangroves and woods.

Hikkaduwa beach, now bouncing back to normalcy, used to be well maintained and tourists could enjoy glass-bottom boat rides, observing the rich coral life. Snorkeling and Scuba Diving used to be quite popular as well. The local guides are very amicable. One can choose from a variety of hotels around the beach, suited for travellers with a low to high budget.

Further down the road, one could find secluded beaches on the way to Galle. The next stop, Unawatuna Beach, to the south-east of Galle - was one of the world's twelve best beaches, before the Tsunami struck. The beach is nestled at the edge of the beautiful bay and surrounded by thick coconut plantations and hilly areas, making it a perfect getaway. One could enjoy water sports, snorkeling and scuba diving in the clear blue water. Development efforts are still on to bring back the old charm.

One can indulge in his/her gastronomic tastes in the various small restaurants that dot the coastal towns, serving authentic Sri Lankan fare, including Sea Food as well as local delicacies, like Hoppers. The sea food at the shacks along Unawatuna beach is delicious and worth trying out.

The fort town of Galle used to be a haven for tourists seeking old-world Dutch architectural marvels. A lighthouse at the edge of the fort offers a wide angle view of the bay and the Indian ocean. One can also have a dip in the clear and shallow waters of the bay.
A major part of the fort was wiped out by the Tsunami. For the spiritually inclined, there is the Dutch Reformed Church.

One can continue exploring the southern coast from Galle visiting port towns like Matara, Hambantota and the Yala National Park, each having its own distinctive features or drive back to Colombo, en route visiting beaches like Bentota and Mt. Lavinia, ending the trip with a positive note.