Just Think And Answer: An Experiment

What would you do if, for one complete day, you were confined to your home and did not have the two most important luxuries to entertain/engross you: the TV and the PC???

Now just think, improvise and provide your answer in as much detail as you can (no dull responses like - I would play indoor games, go for a stroll, work on the broken tap, etc.).

The idea is, your answers should be interesting, creative and yet close enough to the reality, so that we can have a peek into your twisted little minds... Muaahaahaa!

Why I came up with this crazy post??? The reason is, me and my family are just recuperating from a eleven hour power cut! I will not deny the possibility that the lack of electronic entertainment may have affected my brain, but as the title suggests this is only an experiment.

I would sincerely appreciate if all of my readers would participate and respond with gusto (even suggestions and complaints are welcome). Your response will determine if I should continue with the 'Just Think And Answer' initiative.

If I Were A Baby Again

This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 4; the fourth edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.

It happened to be the other day,

that I was passing by memory lane,

just then, across my mind, flashed a thought; a stray,

What if I were a baby again.

A voice from somewhere within nudged me to walk through the lane. It wouldn't be that easy I said to myself; sweet memories will rekindle the lamps of joy and old wounds will be reopened. I could lose myself in the labyrinthine passages and by-lanes.

"Are you afraid to face your past?", the voice asked.

"No!", I said

"Then make up your mind!"

“I’ll do it.”, I answered after a moments reflection.

“After you, sir” said the gentleman inside me.

As I made my way through the little galli, I heard more voices, this time from the outside, as I trudged further houses began to appear on either side. The voices weren’t just voices any longer, they belonged to the human forms that I spotted from afar, whose hazy outlines became increasingly solid as I approached.

As I approached the crowd of milling ‘human forms’ I was taken aback, these weren’t just any humans, these were people whom I had known or still knew since my childhood. Many of them were the ones with whom I had lost contact along the way. I suddenly felt guilty. I couldn’t make eye contact, not that it mattered - to them, I was invisible. They just walked past me or saw right through me, I dunno why but this made me feel even more guilty.

Trying hard to ignore the ignorance of the ones I had forgotten until now, I trudged ahead. I turned my attention to the houses. I had passed dozens of them but it was only now that I really noticed the strong waves of emotions emanating from every door, window and even every crack. I went near one, there were sounds of squealing laughter and commotion, I looked through the window to receive another shock, it was my childhood home and there I was celebrating my 5th birthday with loads of friends.As I stood there I smiled, laughed and jumped with joy as my 5 year old self cut the cake.

From there I ran to every window, each window showed me, in reverse order, the most important moments of my childhood life. Some happy, some sad, some that made me learn the most important lessons in life.

Finally I came to the very last window of the very last house on Memory Lane. I peeked in to see a tiny form wrapped in cloth sleeping beside it’s mother in what seemed to be a recuperating room of a maternity hospital. I could see the joy twinkle in the mother’s eyes…in my mother’s eyes. As I looked away from that window I realized I was crying as well.

Wiping away my tears, I stared at the dead end, there was a small fountain near the high wall marking the end of the lane.

The voice inside me asked “So now you have a choice, you can choose to be a baby again and relive or even change your moments of childhood or just walk back along the path you came and go on living the rest of your life, what will it be?”.

I thought for just a moment and firmly replied “No.”

Why, you would ask? Well if my childhood had not been the way it had turned out to be I would not be the person I am. Today, I may not be perfect but I am happy with the life that I am living and the people with whom I am associated. I would not want to change it for anything in the world.

That does not mean I did not learn anything from my trip down memory lane. I now, would certainly try to get in touch with the people whom I had lost contact with. I would apologize to those whom I had disheartened or let down in the past and thank those who helped or shared joy and happiness with me along the way.

At last, my steps I decided to retrace,

After witnessing the years gone by.

The past I had refused to embrace,

for childhood's rightful place was in my mind's eye.

The fellow Blog-a-Tonics who took part in this Blog-a-Ton and links to their respective posts can be checked here. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.

Diary Of A Woman

It started out as a doodle but the end result is much more than just that.

I am not an artist nor an art connoisseur, I try to reflect on paper, be it in writing or through sketches, what I feel about the world around me.

I will not bore you with details like what I felt while creating this masterpiece (!!!), What it symbolises, the various 'metaphors' involved, the medium I used (it's just a pencil sketch on a page from an exercise book, duhh!!!) like the other artists do.

Rather, I am interested in knowing what you understand or perceive from this sketch and what does it tell you???

The Indian Dream

This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 3; the third edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-A-Ton

I have lived outside the country for most of my childhood years. While I spent my precious little adolescent years in the big bang city of Mumbai. In what little life I have lived I have been able to do what few people of my age have done, look at India from perspective of an outsider.

My Indian dream has shifted shape and changed colours over the years as I have grown from an innocent kid to a silently rebellious adolescent and now a more mature young adult.

Here I try to trace and chronicle that overcharging dream.

An Innocent Dream:

Being away from the real India and with little knowledge that I had about it from my yearly vacations to Mumbai, History and Geography textbooks and Rudyard Kipling’s stories, everything was just a passing dream a month long respite from daily routine, no school and freedom to do whatever I wished.

It was where I loved getting pampered by my grandparents, listening to the older children narrate ghost stories sitting in the society garden, being awed by the magnitude of devotees at the temple and watching the world go by from the window of a local train.

Innocence of childhood allowed me to experience the people, places, aromas and colours around me without any inhibitions.

A Shattered Dream:

I moved to Mumbai in my early teens. That’s when I got to experience the real thing. It was no more just a vacation, it was real life.

As I grew up in the big bad city, I realised a few things I hadn’t noticed before. Time and chhutta (change) were precious commodities and nobody was generous enough to lend you either. “All Indians are my brothers and sisters” was just another line from a long forgotten pledge, in reality the state boundaries not only separated the states but also they also alienated you from the Haryanvi vendor who sold you veggies, South Indian coconut seller whose coconut water quenched your parched throat and Maharashtrian dabbawallah who brought your daily tiffin. The adolescents like me, considered to be either rote-learning machines or temperamental hooligans, were never to be taken seriously.

I was enraged and frustrated at what I saw, heard and felt. I was an outcast not belonging to any community or region or even age group. I couldn’t do anything about the wrongs nor could I find the rights.

A Reawakening:

As life moved on many events occurred, which forced me to change my perspective. The Jessica Lall murder case made me understand that the masses still understood the difference between right and wrong, justice and prejudice and did not want to remain mere bystanders. The 26/11 taught me that humanity could be found among the very people, who I thought to be indifferent, in the darkest of times. Youngsters who work for charity, spreading environmental awareness and many other issues in NGOs made me realize that we, the youth, could bring about a change and gain the respect we deserved from the society. Such and many more lessons I have learnt and am still to learn in coming years.

In a way I have awakened to the one thing that drives us all – Hope. I have hope that India will turn out better than what it was and is with the efforts of all those who have a vision for India, of their own, their own Indian dream.

The fellow Blog-a-Tonics who took part in this Blog-a-Ton and links to their respective posts can be checked here. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following

Blog-a-Ton.

Fully Faaltoo Flu...

Yesterday morning, as usual, I was heading to catch the train to go to college and the railway station was a sight to behold. All the people awaiting the train could easily be divided into three distinct types,

1. The Surgeons: These are the ones who just have buy anything that's just been introduced in the market, hence the green surgical masks. Moreover, they think, using a hanky is soooo...down market. These types do things the way they have to be done - correctly (or the way they think is correct).
2. The Dacoits: This category of people detest 'fizool kharch' (unnecessary expenses) and hence prefer a more subtle way of avoiding unhygienic elements. These types hate show-shining and prefer to be an inconspicuous part of the crowd.
3. The Unmentionables: These people vehemently refuse to believe all kinds of media hype. They have complete trust in their immune system, preferring to breathe in air (and everything that comes with it) rather than suffocating their vital organs by covering their face. Strangely they feel, it's the ears that need protection and choose to plug 'em with their handy mobile earpieces!

By now you must have realised what I'm talking about. For those who haven't (get yourself checked, your brain is missing the receptors that detect sarcasm and dry humour), I'm talking about the measures that people are taking to avoid swine flu, while some use physical barriers, others prefer mental ignorance!

by ARJuna

But wait there's more...

College...now that was a completely different scenario.

Guys who didn't want to lose their macho status refused to wear any kind of protection. The overcautious ones tied handkerchiefs around their necks cleverly, so that it served dual purpose - One, they could quickly cover their mouths and noses if any one were to sneeze or cough in their midst. Two, otherwise it just looked cool hanging around their necks!

The girls, who did not want to look un-ladylike, just covered their petite little faces with their petite little hankies. While the petite little thing (the hanky that is...) failed to cover their mouths and noses at the same time, I was left wondering if these girls were really avoiding the flu or just trying to hide a newly sprouted pimple?!?!

This was just to bring comic relief to those otherwise worried minds. In no way am I taking the present situation lightly nor would I advise you to do so, do take the necessary precautions (masks, hankies et al). But please avoid heeding to or spreading rumours, do not panic unnecessarily (you may end up suffering from hypertension or blood pressure rather than the flu) as Swine Flu is completely curable, just keep a lookout for the symptoms (for yourself and dear ones) and get a check up if in doubt.

The Cream And Scum Of Blogging…

This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 1, the first edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.

Now in my complete one year blog stint I have never blogged about ‘blogging’ as such so this is a first.

The reason I began blogging is to create a space, a channel to express my feelings.

The cream, the absolute icing on the cake is that first you get to express your opinions and have them read by the netizens, second you get to read such great posts by people all over the world and interact with them as well.

The scum would be the uncontrolled and rampant misuse of blogs by people who do not understand the actual purpose behind the creation of a blog. These people use their blogs without adhering to a basic set of ethics and hence post plagiarised or objectionable content (written and otherwise).

The fellow Blog-a-Tonics who took part in this Blog-a-Ton are,
Saimanohar, Dhiman, Vipul Grover, Avdi, Daisy Blue, Sid 'Ravan' Kabe, Shankar, Shilpa Garg, Bharathi, Ranee, Ranee again and Pawan.Click on their respective names to read their posts on The Cream and Scum of Blogging.To be part of the next edition of this online marathon, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.

The Big 3

Top three things on the 'Hottest News' list right now,

1. Qasab has confessed and people are still guessing if he is a great actor or just a criminal under pressure!
2. The 11th std. admission system online is a seriously messed up affair
3. My college started on Monday. (Believe me, that is big news!)

So it's back to the same ol' routine. The long vacation has messed up with my body clock so I still have to get used to the 'waking up early' part

Sigh! What can I say, wish me luck people.

Why We Don’t Have Nobel Laureates...

I read this small article in the Times Of India a few days ago titled ‘Life After IIT’ which stated that the IIT faculty have finally found out why they aren’t producing the Nobel laureates and innovators of the future. When asked by the faculty at the admission desk what their big dream was, most of the students gave the same answer “To get into IIT” only one guy answered that he dreamt of someday building a starship!

The first and most obvious reason for this lack in any kind of diversity in the answers is very simple, these students are pretty anxious about their admissions, hence any kind of ‘trick questions’ like the one asked by the IIT faculty tends to make the students cautious about their answers hence they end up sticking to ’safe options’ like the one given by the students in this case.

Another obvious reason that, I am sure, any under graduate who has given his viva (or oral question-answer tests as they are called in layman’s language) would tell you is the ‘Ape Syndrome’. It is a subtle process that can be described as such - when the first student comes out of the room (in which the viva is being conducted) all the students waiting eagerly outside grill him or her about what he/she was asked and how he answered it, in the end the other students end up answering similar questions in the same exact manner as that of the first guy or gal. I am sure that is exactly what has happened in the case of IIT students.

There may be several other reasons but I think the major one of ‘em is that parents and our primary education system fail to instill the creativity that is a essential quality to be an innovator. Children are born with an inherent sense of creativity; however the education system tends to suppress it and instead push the child into a dull world of rote-based learning, they even encourage the parents to do the same by labeling the child mediocre and forcing them to enroll their wards in tuitions or extra classes.

Our higher education system does nothing to help. Although, I must agree, that they support much better concept based learning, however this does nothing to enhance the practical problem solving ability and creativity of the student. Concepts are seldom accompanied by real life examples. Practical, real-life situations are not utilized in the curriculum which again limits the student to book based learning.

Now that this case has set the IIT faculty thinking I hope they do something about it!

I mean it’s time educationists understood that excelling at entrance exam makes the student a good learner and not exactly a great engineer, doctor or researcher. A student who performance is mediocre in the exams but possesses a vision and ability to work hard can also be equally eligible for the course.

So what these people should do now is look for an appropriate way to gauge a student’s creativity and vision along with his academic performance and then judge his eligibility for admission to the institute.

90:10 Quota War Ends

To read about my views on the 90:10 Quota System click here.

Finally the court has given it’s judgement. It has declared the 90:10 quota system to be illegal.

It is such moments that make me believe that all is not yet lost, my country still cares for it’s youth and our judicial system still has people, like Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice S C Dharmadhikari, with a proper sense of justice.

P.S. I know I am a little late with this post however my internet connection at home has stopped cooperating and refuses to let me access the world wide web, hence the delay!!!

Proud To Be Gay

Till now they were criminals, today they are lawfully, free citizens of India, or rather a new India.

Yes, with the reforms in the 149 year old law laid down by the British (Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code), India has entered a new era of freedom. Now people from all over the world will look at India in new light.

Now social acceptance, that is a completely different story, ‘cause it will take more time for the Indian society to accept LGBTs (Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Transgender) but if a law can be reformed then so can the society right?

Also there’s a long way to go till our judicial system legalizes gay marriages and adoption by gay couples. But, with all the hard work that gay rights activists are putting in I am sure that will also be a reality pretty soon.

Ignorant people like Baba Ramdev and others, belonging to the numerous religious groups, who oppose and mock the Delhi HC ruling are, I think, stuck between the ages (both modern and ancient). They are unaware of both;

• The rich history of our ancient culture wherein homosexuality was not new and was not scorned at.
• Social changes in the modern age wherein homosexuality has again garnered much acceptance around the world.

I conclude this post with a confession;

I have never met or interacted with a gay person. I do not how I would have reacted if I had met one before this. But I make a solemn promise that in case I become or am made aware of a gay person around me in a social gathering/public place, I will not;

1. Stare at him/her.
2. Act repulsive or try to shirk away from him/her.
3. Act in any such way which may emotionally hurt or insult him/her.

P.S. The title is not intended to be pun. With all due respect, the title is not meant to indicate that I am gay.

Remembering The King Of Pop…

…Michael Jackson. Frankly, I do not deserve to write an obituary because I have never met him nor have I ever experienced his music like the rest of his diehard fans. But yes, I have listened to a few of his songs and watched a few videos which remain my favourites to date.

But moving on with my other posts before remembering him would be an insult to the pop star and his countless fans.

So this post is a tribute to the artiste and his unforgettable voice, music and dance moves.

SSC Results Out!

This is just to congratulate all those students of SSC who have passed their exams.

For those who have made it to the merit list...hats off to you. May you succeed in all your future endeavours.

For those who have scored less or haven't scored upto their expectations, please remember this isn't the end of the world you have many more exams to give in which you are sure to taste success provided that you work hard enough to achieve it.

So guys and gals, just freak out you are done with your exams and a hellish year, focus on the admission process. Enjoy your college life, study well at the same time, remember it's easy to be swept away by the glitz of the college scenario but you just need to keep your head straight and keep studying a little, at the same time.

Man!!! I am beginning to sound like a stereotypical 50 something-ish...all set to dish out advice to anyone who's ready to listen.

Whaddaheck...Enjoy, guys and gals and wish you all the best for your future.

Results Of Education - 90:10 The Quota War

The 90:10 reservation issue has been going on for quite a long time now. I must say, it has turned from a small conflict into a complete war; between parents of students from education boards like CBSE and ICSE and the State Education Ministry.

I myself am a product of CBSE education, however I do agree with the fact that SSC students don’t get seats due to students who score higher than them and come from CBSE and ICSE backgrounds. But the quota system seems to me to be a weird solution to the problem.

Why are quotas the common answers to any and every accommodation problem in establishments and institutes in our country? Why can’t the ministry look for more sensible and logical answers to problems such as these? If the present admission process is unfair to SSC students then the 90:10 quota system is unfair to ICSE and CBSE students. I mean come on…there has got to be something between the two extremes which could benefit both. The percentile system which was about to be implemented last year was one such sensible solution to the admission problem, unification of education boards/uniform education boards across the nation is another one.

There are approximately 15,608 CBSE and ICSE students and 16,03,144 SSC students in the whole state of Maharashtra (Source: News Reports). Percentage wise the assigned quota seems perfect. But the fact remains that SSC students are spread over the complete state in rural as well as urban areas while a large majority of the total number of CBSE and ICSE students reside in major cities like Mumbai and Pune. In spite of such diversity, I fail to understand how Mr. VikhePatil decided to apply the universal magic ratio of 90:10 across the whole state.

Mr. VikhePatil goes on to advise that students should not be choosy while selecting their respective colleges, however the fact remains that every guy and gal yearns to go to the most reputed and happening college in town, this goes for both the students of SSC as well as other boards.

Many of the students from both boards do not get admissions because of their average marks. Instead of helping all such students secure seats in good colleges and ensuring uniform as well as efficient utilization of seats in colleges, here we have administrators and political parties that are hell bent on making sure that CBSE/ICSE students don’t have a place in junior colleges this year.Today, education has been made the plaything of a few select officials of the government, who amend the rules and regulations according to their whim. Changes in education and admission methodology should be a result of extensive and accurate research and should not be carried out at the eleventh hour. But sadly, things are different here in India. We can only hope that such differences do not ruin an innocent child’s chances of acquiring quality education irrespective of which education board he belongs to.

Movie Time: 17 Again

Courtesy: New Line Cinema

Watched it yesterday. I am not good with reviews, but since almost every other blogger writes one when he or she watches a movie or reads a book, so I said to myself - why not join the junta and try my hand at a review too!

To start with, 17 Again is a story about a guy, Michael O'Donnell, who's lost both his job and his family. He visits his high school (which is now attended by his kids) to reminisce about how great his high school life was - A popular football star and in line for a full scholarship, Michael gives it all up on the day of the championship game when he realises that his girlfriend is pregnant. Suddenly after coming across a stranger, he turns 17 again. Now it's time for Micheal to decide if he should go after the life that he gave up or set things straight with his family through his 17 year old self.

Now for the review part. A nice light-hearted comedy with a good story line. Great acting by the complete cast and it's refreshing to see Zac Efron in a role outside the High School Musical trilogy. However the short duration of the film (it's only 1 hour 45 minutes long) turns out to be a spoilsport. Even the dialogues and scenes at times are easily predictable.

All in all, I would give it a 3 out of 5 rating.

Please leave a comment if you have anything to say about the movie or my dismal attempt at a review.

Doing The Happy-Happy Dance!!!

I haven't gone nuts due to over exposure to examinations, if that's what you are deducing from the title.

I have been doing this little victory dance just to celebrate my freedom from exams. They got over about a week ago and I've been soaking in the pleasure of doing nothing since then.

Now that the Everest of exams has been conquered (for now that is, the results will determine if I actually conquered or just got buried under a landslide, if you know what I mean), I can get back blogging and complete a few resolutions that I have been meaning to, so here they are,

1. Blog as often as possible
2. Update a few ignored portions of my blog.
3. Take off across Mumbai to see the less popular yet equally interesting sites.

Now the only thing to be seen is how many of the above three resolutions I can actually complete!

जागो परीक्षार्थी जागो!!!

चंदा मामा सो गए, सूरज चाचू जागे,

देखो पकडो यारों,

घड़ी के कांटे भागे,

इलेक्शन की कहानी खतम हुई तो

परीक्षाओं का सीज़न शुरू हो गया मामू !!!

P.S. This is to wish all engineering students all the very best for their exams.

Politically Speaking...

Lots to do and very less time to do it in...no I'm not speaking about the elekshun ki tayyari, I'm talking about my exams that seem to be approaching at light speed. Not to mention the file submissions, viva's (another name for oral exams) and practicals that I have to face in the coming week!!! And so the preparations for all of the above have made my schedule frustratingly hectic, hence the absence since my last post.

Another side-effect of the increasing pressure has been complete lack of writing ideas for the blog. And since I still haven't come across any, I said whaddaheck lets go and out there and just try posting something for the heck of it, Chalo aisa bhi kar ke dekhte hain!

My quick, daily glance at the newspapers everyday of the past month has proven however, that there hasn't been any dearth in the happenings (is there ever?!?!).

The election is, of course at the top of it all. And believe me, I'm ashamed of saying this, but honestly I know very little about the election. Here are the few things that I do know:

1. My Constituency: 25 Thane Lok Sabha Constituency, Maharashtra
2. Shivsena-BJP Alliance and Congress-NCP-RPI Alliance are a few of the alliances contesting the elections.
3. All these politicos (not to be confused with psychos) have been utilising TV, Radio and Internet like crazy for publicity purposes.
4. Everyone is being urged to go and vote, with the media playing a huge role in this matter.
5. And Hence the many campaigns and public service messages, Lead India '09, Vote.Aapke Haath Mein Hain, etc.

Sadly that is the farthest limit up to which my knowledge of the '09 elections extends! If any of you wish to curse, sympathise and/or educate me further about the elections then you are welcome to leave a comment.

Now that my public humiliation is done and over with, I would like to bring your attention to the fact that I may not be able to blog in the coming months (atleast upto mid-June) because of those dreaded exams. So kindly bear with this overworked, hypertense teenager.

P.S. Please go out there and cast your vote on Election Day.

The Pure Bliss Of Blogging...

In the past few days I had been looking for a topic to write on. However I just couldn't find anything to my taste. While in the midst of this futile search, the simple truth hit me - I was driving myself too hard, taking it too seriously.

"This isn't the way blogging works, at least my blog doesn't work this way.", I said to myself.

Blogging in general and my style of blogging in particular stands for spontaneous and sincere thoughts, emotions and opinions.

All of my articles reflect what I feel about a particular thing, irrespective of the nature of the 'thing' or of the time elapsed since the 'thing' happened. That is why many a time my posts come a day or two after the 'thing' has taken place or at times never at all (The Earth Day or Varun Gandhi case for example). I know I sound like a hypocrite when I say so but these are incidents that

• I cannot relate to or
• Cannot give an opinion about only because I am not the right person to do so.

Many of us take up a hobby, activity or career that we feel brings out that spontaneity in us. However many us (especially in the case of a career) end up taking it so seriously, pressurising ourselves to perform and/or prove that we are so good at it, that we forget why we took up the activity in the first place. I was more or less on the same path until I came to this realisation.

During the time when we are engrossed in what we are doing, we forget all those who have helped and encouraged us and those who appreciate what we are doing.

I dunno if I was about to commit the same mistake or have already committed it. So as to be on the safe side, I apologise to all of you who have and will read my blog if you felt that I do not take into account my readers.

I will take this opportunity to thank my parents for instilling in me the love for words. I'll thank my very first reader and a dear friend Parag. Dear, If you hadn't been there to read my posts in my days as a beginner and encouraged me, I would not have written as many posts as I have today. Today my blog is followed by five excellent bloggers and kind souls who inspire me to keep on blogging. And last but not the least my readers and commenters who provide their valued views and insights. All I can say is that I am indebted to you all for what you do. This post is dedicated to all of the above. (This is the same speech that I am gonna give when I receive the 'Blog Of The Year Award', If I ever get one that is!)

To drive home the point that you, the readers, are an important part of this blog, I urge you to respond to blog posts (raves, rants, complaints, suggestion...just about anything will do). You can do that by either commenting here or (if that little comment box doesn't suit you) mail me at arjblogger@yahoo.com. I'll surely get back to you. Another thing you can do is rate my posts as they are published on a scale from one to five (look for the ratings just after the post ends).

Well it's time for me to sign off for now. Good night and have a great week.

Results Of Education

Pic Courtesy: bmaindia on flickr

I have just recovered from two long days of mourning, the reason - My exams results were declared a couple of days back and well, to put it simply, they weren’t upto my expectations.

However, a trip to the college today clearly showed me how pointless my ‘mourning’ had been. There were students who had fared far worse than me, a few buddies included! Some had even ended up with ATKT’s (KT’s for short, also known in some parts as ‘arrears’) ranging from one to a couple of ‘em to as much as KT’s in all subjects.

But I feel that the students of our college (irrespective of the number of KT’s they possess) are far luckier than those few who suffer from a lot more than just a bad result. I am referring to the horrendous cases of ragging that have taken place in the past week (and many other ragging cases that do not come to our notice).

Something that was considered a ‘ceremony of introductions’, ‘induction ritual’ or simply a ‘prank’ has become a game of humiliation and a chance to take revenge. Inspite of the fact that law prohibits the act of ‘ragging’, ignorance by the authorities at the colleges/universities tends to give the miscreants a free hand at crossing their limits. It is important to note that colleges in metro cities like Mumbai take strict anti-ragging measures and are more successful at preventing it (not completely of course) than their counterparts in towns and villages.

The ignorance exhibited by the authorities (that includes professors, lecturers, principals, deans, etc.) towards cases that could have grave consequences does not surprise me though. That’s because that’s what they usually do - ignore the students and in turn ignore their needs and requirements. Other than a few exceptions, I personally have never come across a professor in college who really takes any kind of interest in his/her students. I mention this because taking interest or at least showing it is the first step to successfully urge a student to take interest in a subject. The next would be to try and make the subject itself simple and interesting for the student, again an area where 99% of the professors fail dismally. So basically, everyone just needs an attitude makeover!

These are only a few suggestions, whereas we require drastic changes at university and collegiate levels if we are to achieve a strong, fair and sane education system. Unless this change happens, such incidents and pass outs like us (with or without our KT’s) would merely be a bad result of education!

An Eventful Week...

It’s been one helluva week!!! First the horrific attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team, then the much talked about auction of Gandhiji’s memorabilia and last but not the least a week-long class tests in college (yes, class tests do count as catastrophic events especially since I hadn’t studied for ‘em).

When I first heard the news about the attacks on the Lankan team from a friend, I was attending regular lectures in college, the news was so unbelievable that I laughed it off as a joke until he showed me the headlines on his GPRS. This only shows two things -Pakistan is being crapped at, by the very terrorists to whom it had been giving asylum to all these years and no one, I repeat, absolutely no one is insulated from terrorism.

Talking about the auction…all I can say is that the whole thing, it seemed to me, was full of irony. Irony no.1: A country, a government and a society that does not even come close to achieving Gandhiji’s objectives or following his principles stakes claim over his possessions under the excuse of ‘protecting the nation's heritage’. Irony no.2: The government that pledged to ‘rescue’ the Gandhiji’s possessions could not even delay the auction. Irony no.3: A man with a personality and lifestyle completely opposite to that of the Mahatma’s, succeeds in ‘rescuing’ his possessions.

Well, about the class test. Ahem! I sincerely think we should skip that part.

Before I sign off, I would like to wish all the lovely ladies in this universe a very Happy Women’s Day (I know I’m late but please do accept my wishes along with my humble apologies).

A Slice Of The Oscar Glory...

First and foremost, a hearty congratulations to Mr. Gulzar, Mr. Pookutty and Mr. Rahman. I would also like to congratulate the complete cast and crew of Slumdog Millionaire and all the rest of the Oscar winners.

The reason I waited so long to publish a post about this historic event is that I wanted to witness the reaction of the print media. And I must say I got what I wanted, all the front pages at the newsstand were flashing Rahman’s images. The insides of ‘The Times Of India’ were gushing with how-when-where-what of Rahman’s life and also loads of ‘Slumdog’ trivia.

Amidst the pride-oozing journalism, the fact that disappointed me the most was that all of it was mostly about ‘Slumdog’, it’s cast and Rahman. Save an article or two, there wasn’t much mention of the other two Oscar winners - Gulzar and Resul Pookutty. I was surprised to see a banner that congratulated Rahman and urged it’s readers to wish Rahman by smsing to so-and-so number (what about congratulating the rest of ‘em winners???)

But this one really took the cake - The UPA govt. claims that the Oscar wins were a result of their leadership!!! These people will do anything for grabbing attention.

All in all, it makes me feel proud to be an Indian, to see deserving fellow Indians achieve recognition for their talents. Jai Ho and Jai Hind.

Lectures, Assignments, Tuitions and Blogging

It’s been a month since I last punched the keys with the purpose of publishing a new blog post. As always, I am here to give the reason for my absence - it’s the new term in College. And for those of you who are laughing it off right now, it’s not just one word. As the title of the post already suggests the new term in college brings with it a host of other tasks to keep a teenager busy. There are college lectures till evening, the half hour commute home, then there are the various assignments that need to be completed (and strangely the deadline always seems to be approaching at lightning speed.) Did I mention the coaching classes every Saturday (Five hours of pure torture). In short, I have to make a complete rearrangement of my daily schedule.

Verdict: It took me a total period of one month to get into the groove of the new term and (after I finally did get into groove) to take my lazy ass over to my desk and type out my ‘comeback blog’!!!

But as you will see in my next few posts I haven’t lost contact with the outside world.

So cheer up, there ain’t no reason to fear ‘coz the Teenager is here!!!

P.S. Forgive the ending for being below my usual standards, a clear proof that I am out of touch. I’ll be back to my old ‘blogger’ self after a couple of posts, so nothing to worry about.

To All My Fellow Countrymen...

Pic Courtesy: www.gii.in

The Indian Republic Day is defined as day our constitution was adopted, the day our nation became a republic.

But taking into account the recent issues that our country has been facing, the terror attacks all over the country, the economic slowdown, etc. do you think that the Republic Day should be seen in new context?

Should we assign a completely new (or a better) meaning to this Republic Day?

This Republic Day, I am not the one giving opinions, but am asking for it from you, my readers and fellow Indians.

Jai Hind!

The 'Slumdog' Issue

The past few days have been filled with criticisms and counter criticisms about ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. It’s literally been a food fight of sorts!!! While some prefer to go out in the open with their opinions others claim to merely pass on the ‘opinion of the masses’. But I am not gonna debate upon that.

What I want to point out is that, if the film makers of Bollywood claim their right to ‘creative license’ that they deserve, why aren’t they as ready to let others have a bite out of it too.

Agreed (even though I haven’t seen the film yet), SM brings to the forefront the slummy side of the city; it exploits the crime and sleaze in the city and indicates it to be the only things that the city has to offer. Agreed the westerners who have never been to India may be ‘delighted’ to see Mumbai in such light. But this isn’t any different from the fact that thousands of Indians flock to enjoy the crime infested movies by Ram Gopal Varma. Why don’t critics (and the common public) oppose him for exploiting the Mumbai’s crime scenario and projecting it as a city full of crime?

The bitter truth is that we accept anything and everything that comes from a fellow Indian, but it hurts our ego if the same comes from a foreigner. What a shame!!!

Commuting Gonna Get Costlier???

Hindustan Times, January 14th

“The BEST Administration has proposed a hike in the cost of daily, monthly quarterly and yearly passes…The BEST administration has proposed a hike of Rs 5 in the daily ordinary bus pass, Rs 100 in the monthly, Rs 300 in the quarterly and Rs 1000 in the yearly passes…”

Please correct me if I am wrong but doesn’t price rise tend to discourage commuters and drive them to use other means of travel?On a more serious note, how do you expect people to use the public transport more often if there is a price hike in fares? Ironically, many of its buses sport the public service message: Save Fuel, Use Public Transport

“Less than a year after the launch of the season passes scheme, the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking wants to cash in on its popularity”

Looks like the BEST is planning to milk the cow or rather, milk the commuters’ wallets!!!

Before I sign off, please do check out the latest poll on the sidebar.

P.S. Wishing all of you and your families a very Happy Makar Sankranti and Pongal too!!!

Oil - The Burning Question

Last week’s Oil Workers Strike has not only been one of the many harrowing experiences in an average Indian’s life but it has also given all of us a morbid glimpse of the possibility of a future without fuel.


While my dad was scouting the neighborhood petrol pumps for a refuel, I sat at home wondering, what if we hadn’t gone to the mall the weekend before, to waste all those hours doing nothing but plain window-shopping. We could have spent same amount of time at home doing something worthwhile and more importantly, saved those couple of litres of fuel.


Why is it that man regrets his actions only after he suffers the consequences even though many a time he is aware of the outcome. Luckily my regret was soon doused by the joy brought to me by the fact that the strike ended the next day.


This was just a temporary crisis. But what will happen when we are faced with the bigger crisis, the oil depletion crisis. Predictions state that oil reserves will never be depleted, but that is only after taking into account the rise in usage of alternative sources of energy and the possibility of finding new ‘future’ fuels.


So the question is – Is India capable of developing alternative/non-conventional sources of energy to such an extent that our dependence on oil becomes negligible?


It would be a great to know your opinions and ideas on the issue.

Pic Courtesy: www.shell.com